Brickyard Cafe, seen at lower left, is open for business after it experienced flooding from Temple Stream in December. The business at 165 Wilton Road was closed for two days. McDonald’s and other businesses on Main Street that were flooded by the Sandy River received more damage and are either still closed or only partially open. Google Maps screenshot
FARMINGTON — Businesses near the Sandy River and Temple Stream saw various degrees of damage as a result of flooding during the December 2023 storm, with some not affected at all and others unsure of a reopening date.
The Franklin Journal reached out this week to more than a dozen businesses to obtain information on how they were impacted by the flooding and where they are at at this point in time. The businesses are located between 171 and 148 Wilton Road and 317 to 289 Main Street.
Anna, the manager at Thai Smile and Sushi Restaurant, 148 Wilton Road said there was no flood damage there.
The Brickyard Cafe, 165 Wilton Road had five inches of water inside, Tammy Grover, the former owner said. “The night before it was fine,” she stated. “In the morning, our cook called at 4 a.m. to say he couldn’t get past Hannafords. There was a little bit of water on the floor, not a ton.”
Grover said the cafe was closed two days, the second for cleaning. One refrigerator and two freezers were lost, with one freezer breaking after the first one, she noted.
“We were fortunate,” Grover added. “Two of our customers lost their homes. They still have to make payment.”
Good Times Unlimited, located in the same building as Brickyard Cafe saw everything on the bottom shelves damaged. “It’s been nuts,” Jill Davis Boulette, one of the owners, said. “There was probably well over four feet of water out back, eight to ten inches inside the store and garage. Thank goodness the doors kept most of the water out.”
A lot of inventory was lost, tearing everything apart took the longest time, she noted. The store which sells recreational vehicle supplies is open by appointment only through the winter, had just closed the week prior Davis Boulette said. “It wasn’t how we wanted to spend our down time,” she said. It being the store’s down time was the only saving grace, she stated.
Renovations are coming along, Davis Boulette said. The carpeting has been pulled, new flooring is in, inventory is restocked, she noted. Good Times Unlimited is slated to open for the season March 11, she added.
Richard Johnson of Industry gases up Tuesday, Feb. 13, at the Irving/Circle K, 309 Main Street in Farmington. Flooded during the December 2023 storm, only those using cards are able to get gas. An attempt to learn when the store might reopen was not successful. Pam Harnden/Livermore Falls Advertiser
At 161 Wilton Road, Motor Supply had 5 to 6 inches of water inside, Todd Oliver, salesman, said. “There was three to four feet behind the store where we parked the vehicles. We lost six or seven out back,” he noted.
Oliver said the parts store was cleaned while it was open, closed for only one day before reopening.
Marvin’s Auto Body, 170 Wilton Road had 11 inches of water in the shop, an employee who didn’t want to share his name, said. “Seven vehicles were damaged,” he stated. “We had a lot of cleanup to do, we didn’t really close.”
Flood waters were much higher in businesses on Main Street.
There was six feet of water inside 7 Days Mart at 289 Main Street, owner Rhadi said. “Everything was destroyed,” he stated. “We have to rebuild everything.”
Cleaning is being done now and raising capital, perhaps through a bank loan is underway, Rhadi stated. He is not sure when the store will be able to reopen.
The gas pumps at Irving/Circle K are operating for those using credit or debit cards. The inside of the store on Tuesday, Feb. 13, was mostly empty with just a few cleaning supplies stored against a back wall.
Walgreens, 317 Main Street has set up a temporary pharmacy which is open 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday. It is closed from 1:30 to 2 p.m. for lunch.
Sarah, a customer service representative at corporate headquarters said there are no updates yet on when the Walgreens store will open again. It will be back up as soon as possible, she noted.
The phone number for McDonald’s, 303 Main Street was busy every time it was called. “Unfortunately, I am not allowed to talk about it,” an employee at the Jay restaurant said. He couldn’t provide another phone number.
The phone at Farmington Car Wash, 157 Wilton Road rang with no answering machine to leave a message.
Calls were not returned from Fitch Heating, 162 Wilton Road; The Ice Cream Shoppe of Farmington, 171 Wilton Road; and Irving/Circle K, 309 Main Street.
A representative from Gifford’s Ice Cream, 293 Main Street, had not replied by press time.
Copy the Story LinkSend questions/comments to the editors.
Success. Please wait for the page to reload. If the page does not reload within 5 seconds, please refresh the page.
Enter your email and password to access comments.
Hi, to comment on stories you must . This profile is in addition to your subscription and website login.
Already have a commenting profile? .
Invalid username/password.
Please check your email to confirm and complete your registration.
Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.
Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.