MADEIRA, Ohio — When last week's storm knocked out power at Ali's Bar and Grill for more than two days, owner Alison Tepe-Guy said it created a setback she wasn't anticipating.
“It was one of the most trying times of my life," Tepe-Guy said.
She said the loss of power meant most of the refrigerated food and drinks she had at her restaurant had to be thrown out. She estimates about $14,000 worth had to be tossed.
Tepe-Guy said between throwing out food and having to close the restaurant for multiple days, the outage set her restaurant back nearly $25,000.
“We’re small," Tepe-Guy said. "Even a $5,000 loss is astronomical to us.”
WATCH: Hear how storm-related power outages impacted Madeira businesses like Tepe-Guy's:
We spoke to her last month about how ongoing construction on Camargo Road is impacting nearby businesses like hers.
She said the recent power outage feels like another obstacle to overcome.
“It’s a big salt block in the wound," Tepe-Guy said.
The city of Madeira is in the process of installing a new water main and adding safety features on Camargo Road between Miami and Euclid avenues. The project also calls for new sidewalks and street resurfacing.
Tepe-Guy said city officials are actively trying to help local businesses and drivers, but that some people don't want to deal with the construction traffic.
Just down the road at Bailey Family Catering, owner DeAnna Bailey-Sanchez said they, too, lost power for a couple of days from the storm.
“We’re in a unique situation here where we’re still dealing with construction traffic," Bailey-Sanchez said.
She said her business lost at least a few thousand dollars worth of product because of the power outage.
"This is the first time in over 10 years of business that I had to file an insurance claim on loss," Bailey-Sanchez said.
As both owners are trying to get back on their feet, they said the best way to help is to simply come in and support their businesses.
"We are open," Tepe-Guy said. "We need the business."
