This was Feb. 27, 2019, when a fire damaged Novak’s restaurant downtown.
Rebuilding the interior of the fire-damaged Novak’s restaurant in downtown Albany has taken more than 10 months and is still not done. But the owners are determined to be open no later than Feb. 27, one year to the day after the fire.
Questions about when the renowned Hungarian restaurant will reopen keep popping up in social media and elsewhere. The Novak family had hoped to be back in business well before now, but hoped-for deadlines came and went over the summer and fall.
This week I ran into Karen Novak at Fred Meyer. (In the cheese and lunch-meat aisle, if you must know.) She told me about the latest trouble, the installation of a new hood, an essential item in a restaurant kitchen. The new hood made a noise, she said, and then it was discovered that the wiring had to be redone.
Long story short: Feb. 27, 2020, will be the one-year anniversary of the basement fire that caused all the trouble. She wants to reopen before then but last week, when I talked to her, didn’t have a definite date. Except this: She’s determined to have Novak’s open again on the anniversary date, or before. (hh)
That is good news and I hope they can do it. One of my favorite places to eat and such nice people. Wish them the best.
Looking forward to the opening. Miss having breakfast there on Saturday mornings!
Whenever they do open, they are going to have *huge* crowds. So many of us have been waiting for the return of that great Hungarian food!