The Countryside Mobil convenience store at 332 Main Street in the Village of Schoharie reopened on November 23, 12 weeks and three days after suffering severe damage from more than seven feet of water inside the building during Hurricane Irene.
"It has been the hardest struggle of my life. With no insurance and the complete loss of all inventory, fixtures and equipment, the question of what to do with our destroyed business at that location was difficult, and the future appeared daunting," said owner David Vincent.
Encouraged by local officials to reinvest and reopen, and with the help of family and staff, within two days of the flood Mr. Vincent, family members and staff set about the task of restoring the 2600 square foot business.
Inventory and fixtures were removed and either recycled or disposed of, and the building, which was structurally unaffected by the floodwaters, was then gutted to its bare studs.
Qualified tradesmen were engaged for electrical, plumbing, sheetrock and refrigeration work, but the bulk of the labor and finishing work was performed by family and staff, often working 10-12 hours a day, sometimes seven days a week, often giving up vacations and days off to complete the task.
The building required complete rewiring right from the electric meter.
The store is now rebuilt, fixtured and reopened, and virtually every interior surface is new.
The store offers a full deli, freshly sliced meats, fresh sandwiches to order, soups and pizza, along with a complete line of groceries, pet foods, beverages, and self-serve Mobil gasoline.
Mr. Vincent is grateful for contributions of equipment and other services from many of the store's vendors, as well as words of encouragement from neighbors and friends throughout the arduous task of rebuilding.
The task was completed largely without external volunteer help.
Now, three weeks after reopening, the store has yet to attain the level of business it enjoyed prior to the flood.
Mr. Vincent attributes this to the fact that much of the Village of Schoharie remains vacant, both businesses and residences.
During much of the day traffic on Main Street is well below pre-flood levels.
"How long will it take for the village to come back? That is the question," he said.