Pinehurst restaurant reopens

Thursday was the first day back for the Tall Pine restaurant in Pinehurst after a sewer line accident flooded the building in early November.

The accident occurred when a contractor from Pipeline Inspection Services Inc. was hired by the South Fork Sewer District to work on a pipe near the restaurant. The wrong pipe was blocked, causing the sewage backup in the building.

Dave Kallstrom, restaurant owner, said although a lawsuit is still in progress between the two companies it was agreed that the Tall Pine was in no way at fault for the accidents, and payment to get the restaurant back in business is to be shared between the two companies.

"We were able to get product ordered and get everything back up and running," Kallstrom said. "We got all our patties made up and our sauces in order so we can open back up in the morning."

Kallstrom said the restaurant's employees have been extremely helpful and patient. He said despite not being paid for the past few months they have volunteered their time to help in any way they can.

"Teresa Banks, our manager, we have to give a shout-out to her for keeping us hopeful that we would re-open," Kallstrom said. "Then Arlene Lowen came in and helped us do some painting and extra cleaning."

Kallstrom said the community has been very supportive in this process, but a few people are

still hesitant due to the "gross factor" that comes with a sewage incident. He said everything that was touched by the contaminated water has been replaced, including the walls and floors. He said the restaurant is actually cleaner now than it has ever been.

"When the word got out that we were going to re-open, Facebook and Twitter just exploded," Kallstrom said. "Our manager, Teresa, her phone was just going crazy with people calling to hear if it was true and it was just phenomenal."