UNION, Ky — The Farmstand Market and Cafe in Union, Kentucky, has a lot of damage to clean up after a car smashed into the building. Now, the restaurant is scrambling to find a way to make money and pay employees.
You can see smashed-in bricks where the front of a red SUV bounced off the building’s entrance. Owner Tricia Houston said the crash could have been much worse.
“The guests had just left five minutes before. They could have been walking out that door when this happened, or I could have been locking the doors, because they hadn’t been locked yet -- it could have been myself or any of my employees,” Houston said.
It happened before 9:00 p.m. Wednesday night. Deputies said the man driving the SUV had a medical episode and ran off Old Union Road.
At last check, deputies said the driver was in the hospital. Houston said he was able to walk away from the crash.
According to the Kentucky State Police, this is the 11th crash on Union Road since 2018.
For now, the Farmstand is closed while Houston regroups.
“Nobody can come in until we get this all safe,” Houston said.
Tom Huey, the building owner, said the Farmstand is a staple in Union, and so is the building.
“It's been here, I would say, since maybe the '20s. Used to be a gas station back in its day,” Huey said.
Huey and Houston met with an inspector Thursday to estimate the damage and cleanup. As of Thursday, employees are not getting paychecks.
“As soon as they give the OK structurally to be able to get guests in again, we can take them in through the retail market and get going again,” Houston said.
You can still get food at the Farmstand Friday and Saturday. The owner says they’re going to offer takeout and delivery if you live nearby.
