A popular Hernando County restaurant destroyed by a fire a year ago has reopened.
When the doors opened at 11 a.m. to applause, it was like the past year faded away.
The tables at Papa Joe's Italian Restaurant in Brooksville filled up quickly and back in the kitchen, things got cranking early. A pot of meatballs ready to be served and the chopping never stopped.
Joe Giarratana didn't skip a beat playing host and cooking. This is what he loves to do.
"It feels like home again," he said. "Feels good."
Papa Joe's was destroyed by fire about a year ago. It was a big blow to Joe, his wife Donna, his employees and all their customers. The couple promised to rebuild, and they did. There are pictures on the wall of when they first opened back in 1981.
It's hard to believe, but the entire restaurant was rebuilt in four and a half months.
Louise Boisvert and her husband have been eating at Papa Joe's for 28 years. They were the first customers to be seated Tuesday morning and they're happy to be back.
"We were getting really depressed," Louise said.
The phone didn't stop ringing while we were there. Donna Giarratana said its music to her ears.
"We are incredibly excited about what's going on right now," she said.
So just like that, it’s business as usual as a well-known restaurant begins a new chapter.
Joe said about 80 percent of their employees came back to work for them.