SALISBURY — If you’ve missed the lunch buffet at Cartucci’s since the Italian restaurant closed in July after a fire, your wait is almost over.
Owner Ted Aurora said he hopes to reopen the East Fisher Street eatery in three weeks.
“We finally got the new flooring put down in the dining rooms, and I’m waiting for them to finish up in the kitchen so I can put in my new equipment,” Aurora said.
A fire broke out July 9 in an air conditioning unit behind the restaurant. Since then, Aurora said he has been dealing with two insurance companies and construction delays while trying to reopen.
Smoke and water damage in the dining rooms was less severe than the damage in the kitchen, Aurora said. The restaurant will have new ceramic tile floors, new booths and new equipment including a pizza oven with nearly double the capacity of the old oven.
“In the long run, we will be better off,” Aurora said. “But it’s been very frustrating.”
Insurance covered not only most of the cost of repairs and equipment but also allowed Aurora to continue paying staff while the restaurant has been closed, he said. Two cooks and three waitresses are not receiving full pay but have been on a salary, he said.
Painters began working in the kitchen Friday, and Aurora said he expects to install new equipment including a cappuccino machine next week. It will take staff about a week to restock and prepare the kitchen, he said.
All gift certificates, no matter the expiration date, will be honored, he said.
“People liked the way the restaurant felt before, so there won’t be any drastic changes cosmetically,” he said. “We will want it to be a place where you can come and relax.”
Contact reporter Emily Ford at 704-797-4264.