'This place is a little more than just pizza': Little Rock Hungry Howie's to reopen after March 31 tornado

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. - It has been three and a half months since an EF3 tornado ripped through parts of central Arkansas and devastated parts of Little Rock.

The Colony West Shopping Center on Rodney Parham and its neighboring businesses were unrecognizable to most Little Rock natives after March 31, and the shopping center still has a ways to go before it is back to normal.

But for Hungry Howie’s just down the parking lot, the team is just a few days away from being back open for business.

General Manager T.J. Rowan told KARK 4 News they feel lucky.

“Grateful is the first word that comes to mind, mainly because everyone else did have it so much worse,” Rowan said.

Though Hungry Howie’s also faced significant damage of its own, with busted windows, a broken door, electrical damage, and a lot of debris that made its way inside.

Rowan said they did not expect it to take more than a month or two to reopen, though the high demand for construction workers and technicians caused delays.

In the meantime, Rowan and his employees were able to do a little bit of what they are trained to do: serve.

“That is what I like to do, is hand someone pizza and be like, ‘How can I help you?’” Rowan said.

That help took on a new meaning a week after the tornado when Hungry Howie’s teamed up with Immanuel Baptist Church to distribute food and necessities to those impacted by the tornado. Rowan says his business gave more than 100 pizzas away to families who came by.

For the last few months, KARK 4 News and people across Arkansas have taken on the phrase, #WeARStrong, signifying the strength of the state in response to the devastation.

Rowan was asked if he feels his store is coming back stronger as a result of this tornado.

“We don't know, right.. but, what I do know is if we keep pumping out great, killer pie with great service... we will come back,” Rowan said.

Rowan also noted that based on feedback from the community anticipating their reopening, he is confident.

The store’s grand opening will be Friday, July 21. Rowan said a portion of proceeds will go to Arkansas Disaster Relief. They will also be serving medium pizzas with one topping for free to first responders.

“This place is a little more than just pizza,” Rowan said.

from KARK https://ift.tt/AUEPyKd