When disaster struck Toronto restaurant this happened

When nine pipes in the apartment above Fanny Chadwick's froze and burst, water rushed into the Annex-area restaurant and flooded its line kitchen, dining room and basement. Afterwards, it took eight days for the building to dry out.

Co-owner Sarah Baxter estimates that in total, there was around $100,000 worth of damage. Luckily, her insurance took care of most of it.

While the weeks following the flood were stressful, Baxter and her team decided to move forward, albeit in a new direction. "We just took advantage of being closed for so long to really rethink everything," she says, noting how the five-year-old Fanny Chadwick's was pigeon-holed as brunch destination.

"We struggled to build the night business over the years," Baxter explains.

When the eatery re-opens on April 5, it'll be under a new name: Chadwick's, along with the tagline "craft kitchen and bar." Baxter wants to focus on all the house-made foodstuffs - including ketchup, mayo, peameal bacon, sausage and cured fish - that populate her menu.

While the restaurant's brunch will remain intact, Chadwick's dinner menu is getting a makeover. Signature items, such as hamburgers and fish 'n chips will still be on offer, but Baxter notes that the restaurant will focus on shareable mix-and-match dishes.

And even though Chadwick's will take reservations for lunch and dinner, don't expect to be able to make one for brunch - it'll still be first-come, first-served.

Photo via Fanny Chadwick's Facebook page.

by Amy Grief via blogTO