CINCINNATI — Zip's Cafe has stood along Delta Avenue in Cincinnati's Mount Lookout neighborhood for decades.
The burger joint just celebrated its 100th birthday, marking a century of Zipburgers in the Tri-State.
"I love burgers, but this one is my favorite, my favorite, yeah in the world," Coral Santiago said.
But for the past week, the beloved restaurant had to close its doors after flood waters damaged parts of the building. Heavy rain made its way down the road and into the establishment July 17.
“I’ve seen it before so I can’t say I was surprised, but it’s still one of those things where it’s kind of just shocking and defeating," owner Mike Burke said.
WATCH: Staff and customers celebrate the reopening of Zip's Cafe
The restaurant routinely informed its faithful customers when they needed more days to assess and clean the space, until making the announcement Friday that service would return Saturday.
“A lot of it's a hurry up and wait kind of thing. So, while I’m trying to then schedule with the flooring guy to replace the floor that is nonexistent, I can’t tell him when he’s going to be able to work because the humidity’s got to drop," Burke said.
Then, Saturday brought the community back into Zip's doors.
“I think we’re moving forward well," Burke said.
Included in the excitement were Santiago and Chris Lyle, who live in Puerto Rico.
The two make frequent trips to the Cincinnati area, making sure to always grab a meal at Zip's Cafe.
“Every time I come here, I have to come to Zip's," Santiago said.
But when floods closed down the restaurant, the two had to wait and see if they could enjoy their usual spot.
“I've been like the entire week, looking into the Facebook, like seeing when it’s going to be closed. And fortunately, I had the opportunity to come before I leave tomorrow," Santiago said.
Burke and his team are getting back on track, hoping to see their normal crowds fill up their space soon enough.
"It’s been big. It’s been a good day, and I think, just now that the word’s out that we’re open, our business will slowly creep back up to the volume we’re used to," Burke said.
