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Watertown restaurants faced decision to close due to water main break; bottled water sought

in Local Business 341 views

WATERTOWN — With reports of the city’s water supply about to run dry, local restaurants were facing a decision Thursday about whether to remain open or shut down due to the water main break.

Todd Tarzia, owner of Vito’s Gourmet on Public Square, said he alerted staff to be on the lookout for a text message Friday morning, if he was to receive information that there’s no water pressure at the restaurant.

Tarzia said Thursday afternoon that employees were boiling water, and he planned to bring in bottled water to the business.

He planned to remain open regular hours Thursday, which meant closing at 3 p.m.

If they had to close for a day, Tarzia said, “It would be terrible.”

“We’re a small business and every little bit of business coming in the door makes a difference,” he said while adding that if they had to close on Friday, they would not be able to make a profit for the week.

“Friday’s our busiest day, and I’m anticipating maybe we’ll have to close tomorrow, and we’re going to basically lose the profit for the whole week if that’s the case,” he said.

Tarzia said he held water in the back of the restaurant so if they did run out of water, employees could use that to clean the dishes.

Han Le, owner of CaffeineHolic in the Paddock Arcade, had water in the sinks as of shortly after 1 p.m. Thursday. However, she could not use the ice machine, so the business was only serving hot coffee.

Le said that she at least planned to have a late opening on Friday. Opening late could hurt her business as 30 to 40% of sales come before 9 a.m.

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Three new restaurants open in Watertown

in Food/Local Business 773 views

WATERTOWN — A popular juice bar has relocated, a restaurant with Filipino food has landed in the city, and a family with a rich history in the local food industry has reopened a restaurant that closed at the start of pandemic.

With the three new restaurants, the city’s food scene continues to change.

On Bradley Street, co-owners Jezza Vargas and her husband, Sgt. 1st Class Christopher Kellogg, opened Flavors of the Philippines on Dec. 1, offering a sizable menu of Filipino and Asian foods.

“There’s not another Filipino restaurant in 300 miles,” Sgt. Kellogg said.

The restaurant occupies a building at 568 Bradley St., once the home of a car detailing business and a sandwich shop years ago.

The couple completed major renovations before the opening.

Ms. Vargas went to culinary school to learn to be a chef at Lyceum of Philippines University in Manila and has eight years of experience in the food industry in Colorado Springs, where she managed two restaurants. They moved to the north country this fall when he was assigned to Fort Drum.

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