With nearly 70% of the city of Tampa without power, businesses open have been rare since the hurricane hit Milton. But in downtown Tampa, where the electricity has never failed, businesses are slowly reopening.
“People have survived, they say to themselves: let’s drink! »
Downtown Tampa is almost deserted, but Robert Neamtu, owner of Dracula’s Legacy Wine Bar, was counting mid-afternoon on the fact that after the hurricane passes, people will want to decompress in front of a beer.
PHOTO MARTIN TREMBLAY, THE PRESS
In downtown Tampa, where the electricity has never failed, businesses are slowly reopening.
His bar was ultimately only closed for one day. Yes, he still lacked drinking water, but with bottled water, beer and wine, he expected the evening to go smoothly.
In any case, while sweeping his terrace, Robert Neamtu explains that he was not overly worried about the passage of the hurricane. Milton and that he expects most other businesses to be open by Friday.
PHOTO MARTIN TREMBLAY, THE PRESS
Nearly 70% of the city of Tampa was without power.
This is what Stephen Dohack, owner of a Thai restaurant with his wife, will do. He was collecting debris in front of his business when The PressFriday. He too believes that life will return to normal at the start of the weekend.
The first thing people do is clean up their own yards. That’s what I did today, picking up the broken branches.
Stephen Dohack, Thai restaurant owner
It only took a few hours for Dracula’s Legacy Wine Bar to come back to life. At the start of the evening, Robert Neamtu’s bar was certainly not full, but there was no shortage of customers.
With the sun setting on the terrace, a food truck installed right in front, it’s hard to believe that just the day before, Tampa was expecting a devastating hurricane.