Over a month after an explosion cause three buildings to collapse in the East Village, the neighboring B & H Dairy is still waiting to reopen, and hopes to finally do so next week. While most businesses on and around that stretch of 2nd Avenue were able to get back up and running within a week of the disaster, the classic Jewish lunch counter has faced delay after delay. It waited two weeks for the gas to get turned back on, only to be held up for another three. But the owners have been posting regular updates to the restaurant's Facebook page, and today they reveal that, after an inspection yesterday, they need to repair the ceiling to make sure it's safe. They now say (not for the first time) that they need one more week to reopen.
It has definitely been a major financial burden for the 73-year-old restaurant to stay closed so long, but at least it's getting some help from an online fundraising campaign, which to date has raised $24,690, and still has 10 days to go. Still, it will definitely be worth showing a little extra love to B & H once it does reopen.