BY PEPPER FISHER
Port Angeles – No one was hurt when the driver of a Jeep plowed through the wall of Joshua’s Restaurant Saturday afternoon, and the new owner is praising the community for coming together to help with the cleanup and getting the restaurant back open in time for Sunday breakfast.
Kathi Habenicht is also thanking God that a potentially disastrous situation wasn’t worse when an elderly customer reportedly hit the throttle instead of the brake of his brand new Jeep, which ended up entirely within the lounge during business hours.
“I think the thing that was most sobering to me was, my bartender was telling me there’s a young couple that are always there when she comes in, because they’re friends. But this young couple always sit at the table on that wall with their newborn and their three year old little boy. And I’m just so grateful that they weren’t there that day, because they would have been at that table at 1:15 when he came through that wall. You know, you think about these things…and I know that couple has a strong faith, and they believe God protected them. And I do, too.”
Her luck didn’t end there. Habenicht says there also happened to be a building code inspector on the premises, who told her exactly what had to happen to get the place reopened. Then the husband of one her bartenders, who is a contractor, showed up and went to work.
“He came in with his truck, all the materials, started pulling down glass and broken bricks. And another contractor, who’s a customer, came in, and he’s like, “Let me work in the front and in the foyer”, and he started working on that side. And then I had another customer drive by. He’s like, “I used to do demolition. You need some help?” And so, he started hauling bricks and glass. And I mean, it was just like, unbelievably heartwarming, the amazing support.”
All of that came together to allow Habenicht to get Joshua’s back open for business by 7:00am the next morning.