KITCHENER -- A local restaurant is cleaning up after some major water damage following Thursday's storm.

After seeing some light at the end of the tunnel with the change in COVID-19 restrictions in the region, Bridge Street Kitchen in Waterloo was looking forward to getting back to their regular hours of operation this weekend.

Following last night’s storm, owner’s Olivia and Jason Popofski arrived just before 6 a.m. Friday to flooding in the dining room.

“So we walk into the restaurant and it was raining inside,” said Olivia. “I’ve never seen this before, it's absolutely insane. We were supposed to be open at 8 a.m. this morning.”

Instead, a sign went up on the front door that states "Closed due to water damage."

After what has already been a challenging year for small businesses, the Popofskis said this is a major setback

“It’s really too bad. Our heart breaks obviously for our customers, but we just don't know what to do,” said Olivia.

Although the restaurant saw the most significant damage, two other stores in the plaza were also affected.

“I was quite surprised to see all that water...it was kind of shocking. We’ve been kind of checking on each other and making sure everybody's OK,” said Ingrid Hartman, the owner of I.C. Flowers located next door to Bridge Street Kitchen.

“I came in here and then I didn't even realize we'd been hit and then Amy said 'Look over here' and I said 'Oh no.' This is all going to have to be replaced,” said Sue Boileau, a pharmacy assistant at total health pharmacy, located next door to I.C. Flowers in the same plaza.

According to the Popofskis, after posting what happened to social media, the outpouring of support has been overwhelming.

“A lot of our regulars who follow us on Instagram reached out,” said Olivia. “One of our customers had some absorbent flooring he actually offered up to us."

Each store is still waiting for an assessment on the extent of the damage. For now, Bridge Street Kitchen will remain closed to indoor dinning.

The good news, their kitchen is OK, adding some hope to this challenging situation.

In place of what would have been a busy weekend at Bridge Street Kitchen, the Popofskis will be offering a cash-only curbside option to serve the community that continues to support them.