How Much Money Have Atlanta Restaurants Lost From the Water Main Break?

Atlanta restaurants have taken a major financial beating because of the water main break over the weekend. Many restaurants were forced to close their doors on Friday and Saturday across Midtown and Downtown — generally the highest grossing profit days — and owners allege that the city’s failure in repairs and communication have cost their businesses tens of thousands in revenue.

On Monday, Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens announced a financial relief fund for small businesses impacted by the water main break. $5 million have been proposed for the program, with more details expected next week.

“We’ve probably lost 30 thousand [dollars] in sales,” says Craig Richards, executive chef and owner at Lyla Lila in Midtown. “It was a very frustrating, stressful weekend. The dishwasher wouldn’t get up to temperature and the toilets weren’t flushing.”

Richards closed Lyla Lila on Friday and Saturday. On Sunday, he reopened with complimentary bottled water service, which is another added cost to service. Richards is filing with the restaurant’s own insurance to recoup some of the losses.

“We lost our entire weekend revenue because we’re normally closed on Sundays,” says Devan Knobloch, general manager at Gunshow in Glenwood Park.

Gunshow is only open for four days a week (Wednesday-Saturday), and orders its ingredients in advance. Knobloch says the restaurant lost about five thousand dollars in produce they will have to throw away, making their total losses almost forty thousand dollars. The restaurant is also contacting their insurance company.

“The most frustrating part about this is the complete lack of information that was accessible,” Knobloch says. “There were multiple misreports of repairs on Saturday morning and they weren’t true. We just had to turn the tap on and figure it out.”

Eleventh Street Pub in Midtown suffered damage where a geyser of water blew out a window, according to 11Alive. The window is now boarded up, and it is unclear if the inside of the restaurant was affected.

In addition to overall restaurant business losses, servers lost income in tips at the beginning of the month when bills are due. The Giving Kitchen, an Atlanta-founded organization that provides emergency assistance to food service workers nationwide, has been receiving calls from restaurant workers this morning.

“If there is already a crisis in the home of a food service worker and this [water main break] added to the crisis, the Giving Kitchen can help with financial assistance or stability network resources,” says Jen Hidinger-Kendrick, founder and spokesperson of the Giving Kitchen. “To help our restaurants, let’s go inside the city, tip a little extra, and lead with gratitude and kindness.”

Atlanta mayor Andre Dickens posted a video on Instagram this morning, saying repairs are underway on West Peachtree between 11th and 12th street.

Update: June 4, 2024, 9:05 a.m.: This article was updated to include the proposed relief fund for small businesses affected by the water main break, announced by mayor Andre Dickens.