Small businesses in Little Rock reopening Monday after the EF-3 tornado in March

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Businesses at the Pavilion at the Park in Little Rock are back open for the first time in seven weeks.

Floors were vacuumed and food was prepared for doors to open back up at small businesses at the shopping center.

"It was so much fun, we were so excited, everyone just walked in the front door, it was like a receiving line at the front door you know hugging and just all of the familiar faces," Trio’s general manager Stephanie Caruthers said.

"It's great to see cars in the parking lot, not just construction workers," Curations Home, owner Eric Doud said.

After the March 31 tornado, the city of Little Rock closed the shopping center due to safety concerns from all of the damage, but weeks later they are finally reopening.

"It's been a long process, just looking at the calendar there is so much that has happened in the seven weeks but it also feels like seven years," Doud said.

Caruthers is the general manager at Trio’s and she said they have been prepping food for four days to open Monday, as well as installing equipment and making sure things are in tip-top shape.

"Making sure everything works and it's clean and then restocking and baking and chopping," Caruthers stated.

As they are sizzling up food, just a few stores down, Curations Home also got to finally open back up for business.

"We will all be getting back into the swing of things so we are excited and certainly want to thank all of our patrons for being so patient and willing to come out and support us," Doud said.

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