By Patricia Breakey
Delhi News Bureau
The Coffee Pot restaurant at 581 Main St. in Hobart will be reopening with a target date in June, and the community is rallying to make it a reality, owner Mike Williams said Tuesday.
On Feb. 22, the restaurant was destroyed by fire that left the building standing but with extensive water damage.
Williams said he was initially told that the Hobart landmark couldn't be saved, but he got a second opinion from Dave White Construction in DeLancey.
"Dave is a patron of mine, and he is helping me out a lot," Williams said. "He brought in an engineer, and we decided that if we strip down to the frame, we can rewire the whole thing and use the existing walls."
Mike Williams said he and his wife, Geri, have owned The Coffee Pot since Jan. 16, 2006, when they bought it from Marcy Barr.
Barr said the Williamses were underinsured, so the community has banded together to help raise funds to help rebuild the popular restaurant.
The fundraising kicks off between 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday with a reception and refreshments at Boncranna Bed & Breakfast at 168 Maple Ave. in Hobart, which is Barr's home and business.
"Please come with a free-will offering to help rebuild the much-missed Coffee Pot," Barr said Tuesday. "Mike and Geri were always there to support everyone anytime someone needed help."
Williams said he and his family will be at the reception.
"I can't believe the support we are getting from the community," Williams said. "We are very grateful, and this would only happen in a small, close-knit place like Hobart."
Williams said the building that houses the restaurant dates back to the early to mid-1800s and has held several businesses.
"There have been a few different restaurants, and at one time it was a candy shop that sold penny candy," he said.
Williams said that the week before the fire, he had been approved for a low-interest loan from the Western Catskill Community Revitalization Council to improve the restaurant. He said they have now applied to use the funds for the reconstruction of the building.
Barr said there are several other fundraisers in the planning stages, including a Rotary chicken barbecue and a brunch at the Hobart Inn, but the dates have not been set.
For more information or to share fundraising ideas, call Barr at 538-9144. An account has been set up in the Williamses' name at the NBT Bank in Hobart for donations.
Patricia Breakey can be reached at 746-2894 or at stardelhi@stny.rr.com.
