Aug. 8, 2024 9:10p
(WGTD)---The owners of a beloved, long-time Kenosha diner that was heavily damaged by fire over the weekend say they hope to eventually be back in business at the same site. But there are a lot of ‘ifs.’
Janis Barnhill and Julie Zorn of the Coffee Pot stopped in for lunch Thursday at the nearby Union Park Tavern following a visit by an insurance adjuster.
Barnhill said possible options include repairing what was damaged or building a replacement structure on the same 7th Ave. site. "We're doing everything we can to move forward and make the right decisions and have this be just a memory," she said.
One thing that’s been ruled out—at least for now—is moving the Coffee Pot to a new location.
The fire began mid-morning Saturday in a wall in the old building, then rekindled in a false ceiling in the early evening hours after everyone left. "We were in there cleaning for a few hours before we all left at 4," she said. "Then smoke was spotted around 6 p.m."
Barnhill said she had no criticism of the fire department. Firefighters were hampered by numerous ‘void’ spaces that existed in the building as the result of numerous renovations over the years.
An adjacent building which housed a secondary Coffee Pot dining area sustained only minor damage, Barnhill said.
-0-