HARAHAN, La. — In Harahan, the Kelly family is reopening Charles Seafood after a year of renovations.
Shawn Kelly, one of the owners said the roof was so damaged by Hurricane Ida that much of the inside had to be replaced as well. Shawn and his wife Patti faced challenges trying to rebuild amid supply chain issues and battles with insurance companies.
"It was hard getting people to work and do the construction work and dealing with insurance companies and trying to get to the parts, just getting material was hard," Kelly said. "We find ourselves you know, having to go to several different suppliers just to get enough material in order to do what we need to do."
On top of renovating their restaurant, the Kelly family was tasked with repairing two homes. One for Shawn and Patti and the other for their two children, Bevin and Nathan.
Now, the home for their kids is complete, but they have not even touched their home. The Kelly family said the community they love has kept them going.
"A lot of our patrons have our personal cell phone number, and they would call us daily stop by try to help. We had a few employees that stayed and worked with us even to renovate," Patti Kelly said. "We still cook lunch for them every day, so we still have a good, united family. We really do. And we can't wait to see our customers again."
While there is still some work to do inside the restaurant, the family says they are in a good spot to welcome customers back. They are reopening their restaurant at 4 p.m. with all of their signature dishes.
As of February 2022, Hurricane Ida has reportedly cost the state $75 million, making it one of the costliest storms in history. Now, over a year later, people in affected areas are completing renovations to their homes and businesses.