J. Hartman’s restaurant on U.S. Highway 70 in Marion closed up shop Thursday, Sept. 26, after emergency management officials came by the restaurant urging people to evacuate.
With Hurricane Helene headed toward western North Carolina, heavy wind, rain and flooding were in store. Owners Jennifer and Jon Hartman were at home on the lake trying to tie off their dock to keep it from floating away if flood waters rose too high.
“We had no idea,” Jennifer said. “Just like anybody else, we didn’t know the water was going to come up that high, and I felt like we were pretty safe.”
The couple didn’t see the restaurant again until photos started popping up on social media of flood damage.
“Someone sent me a picture of the aerial view of the restaurant. … I was just like, ‘Oh my gosh,’” Jennifer said. “I came in here the next morning. At that point, one of my daughters and my in-laws were here, and they were standing on the porch and I could just see the mud. … My mother-in-law said, she said, ‘Prepare yourself … because it’s bad.’ I walked in and it was just a disaster … I was absolutely devastated.”
She said mud was covering the floor, booth seats and chairs were strewn around the restaurant.
“This restaurant’s ran by myself, my husband, my two daughters, and we’ve got 60 staff members here,” Jennifer said. “It’s our livelihood, but it’s the 60 staff members' livelihoods. That’s been one of my biggest concerns, is how quickly can we reopen to get them back to work.”
She said they've hit roadblocks ever since the storm hit.
“We just keep getting hit with more and more bad news,” Jennifer said. “Insurance isn’t going to cover any of the property damage. The building owner, their insurance isn’t going to cover any of the parking lot cleanup. They’re not going to cover any of the property damage inside. We’re just at a loss.”
The restaurant’s next steps are unclear. She said they had to throw away about $30,000 worth of food, filling up two dumpsters, and she doesn’t know where to begin with the cleaning process for everything in the building after the water came in and contaminated everything.
“People are worried about their livelihoods,” Jennifer said. “We’ve got an amazing staff and I don’t want them to feel lost or worried. Everybody’s got so much loss and worry as it is. Them coming back to work is one of our biggest priorities, and I don’t know how to do it.”
Her mom, Toni Hodge, came up from Albermarle to help with storm cleanup. Hodge said she was worried about small businesses like J. Hartman’s after the storm. She said she felt like big corporations would be able to recover, but small businesses may struggle with little help from insurance and limited resources.
“You have to weigh so many options,” Hodge said. “I think it can be done. I just think it’s gonna be a long time.”
While things seem bleak, employees and other community volunteers have been coming in to help clean up since Hurricane Helene hit on Friday, Sept. 27. By the next Tuesday afternoon, the floors were clear of any mud and most of the store’s furnishings had been moved outside to be rinsed off.
“It’s incredibly humbling,” Jennifer said. “I don’t know how else to describe it.”
Pepper Strode, a manager at J. Hartman’s, and Angeles Amable, a cook, were two of the employees who were helping with the cleanup at the restaurant Tuesday.
“It’s how I pay my bills and I love this family,” Strode said. “They’re some of the best people I’ve ever worked for and I want to see this restaurant get back up and running.”
Both cried when they saw the restaurant.
“My second home is here,” Amable said.
Jennifer's sister, Laura Stotts, posted ways to donate on her Instagram account @diaryof_abandonment. By Oct. 1, Stotts said about $1,000 had been donated to the restaurant and another $1,000 had been pledged. Some of the donations came from people who have never met the Hartmans or visited the restaurant.
“There’s a whole lot of good people out there,” Jennifer said.
She said in the first few days after the storm she felt numb, but seeing all the volunteers coming to help clean up changed that.
“I’ve been very emotional today. … The first couple days I was completely numb, no emotion whatsoever, just like a zombie,” Jennifer said. “And then the last few days, I can’t stop crying.”
Brandy Pittman originally headed to Grace Community Church to volunteer, but when the church had enough volunteers for the day, she pivoted to J. Hartman’s. She made a call to Nebo Crossing Academy Administrator Dave Likins to get more volunteers on the way for cleanup.
“They’re our people,” Pittman said. “You don’t leave your people hanging.”