THUNDER BAY — A Thunder Bay coffeeshop that became collateral damage in the Dec. 22 fire that destroyed the Finnish Labour Temple is now back in business.
Calico Coffee House on Bay Street reopened Monday after a forced shutdown of almost three months.
On the night of the big fire, much of the same water that was used in efforts to extinguish the blaze found its way into the shop, causing extensive damage.
The biggest need to prepare for reopening was the replacement of the boiler, which was flooded out.
Calico is co-owned by Alexis Grunys and Sheena Doran.
"It feels really good to be back and to see our customers. We're just happy to be back and running," Doran said.
Both women said they're grateful not only to the patrons who returned on Monday, but also for the support they've received over the past few months.
"We're just super thankful for all the support we've gotten. People have messaged, left messages on the phone. And just the general support we've felt today has been amazing," Doran said.
For now, the two women and two other staff members will run the coffee shop.
Support staff left for other jobs during the shutdown, so they're currently operating Monday to Saturday rather than seven days a week as in the past.
