After being closed for more than three months with unexpected delays after an August fire, the local restaurant Rue de L'Espoir is projected to reopen Saturday.
Closed since Aug. 8, when the restaurant experienced a small fire in the kitchen, the renovation process has been plagued with delays that have pushed back the opening date repeatedly.
While the intention of the owner, Deborah Norman, was to quickly repair what damage there was and reopen promptly, health inspectors condemned the entire kitchen due to extensive smoke and water damage, forcing the restaurant to close.
Since then, Norman has struggled with the process of getting through all the hurdles of "making sure all the adjusters and all the inspectors were in agreement with everything that had to be done," she said.
"It needed to be redone mostly because there was smoke damage and water damage and smell. And in order to get the smell out of the kitchen, everything had to be taken down to the studs and treated or scraped away and built back out again. And all the equipment was damaged from the water," Norman said.
The unforeseen delays have resulted in the projected opening date being pushed back repeatedly. Initially, the restaurant was expected to reopen at the end of September, less than two months after closing. But that date had to be pushed back three times to accommodate the constant delays.
Located near Brown's campus at 99 Hope St., Rue de L'Espoir has been in business since 1976. The restaurant was frequented by Brown students and faculty, as well as many locals and professionals from the area.
According to the owner, Rue de L'Espoir is well-known regionally and is a popular spot for visitors from out of town. It has been featured in print media such as the New York Times, Esquire and Bon Appétit, and it is popular for its weekend brunches as well as its versatility in being one of the few local restaurants that offers both breakfast and becomes "a white-tablecloth restaurant at night."
Norman doesn't anticipate any drop in business when the restaurant reopens in a few days. There has been consistent demand from former customers for the restaurant to reopen.
"I can't walk through the grocery store without someone asking me when we are going to be opening," she said. "People come up to me and don't even ask me how I am, they just ask me when the restaurant is opening."
While Norman did not want to give away any surprises, she said the interior of the restaurant will be updated, even though it was not affected directly by the fire.
Although the restaurant décor will change, much about Rue de L'Espoir will remain reassuringly similar for returning customers. Menus will be changing only slightly to accommodate shifting seasons, and all the regular staff will be returning.
"We're hoping that all of our loyal clientele does come back, and we are so sorry for all the inconveniences we caused. We hope that nobody's found anyplace else to eat in the meantime," she said.
