A sedan drove through the storefront of a Harrah coffee shop and its neighboring cocktail bar on Tuesday morning, resulting in the businesses closing indefinitely while repair estimates are made.
Owners of The Simple Brew and Stir Social Club, Christy and Chad Wimer, said it is their understanding the elderly driver of the car got her foot stuck on the gas pedal.
The duo said the driver, and an employee and customer inside the shop, were all uninjured.
“She was booking it through the building and went through the bar,” Christy said.
The owners don’t suspect any damage to the structural integrity of the building, but knowing with certainty will require visits with contractors and structural engineers.
However, aspects of the walls, electrical systems, plumbing systems, furniture and fixtures all have to be replaced.
“I think we’re in such high spirits right now because we have such community support,” Christy said. “Because, we’ve tried to work this month at giving back to the community. Especially with shutdowns and everything.”
Several neighboring businesses spent the day helping the Wimers clean up the shop.
“I think if the circumstances were different, and somebody got hurt, we would be having a very different conversation,” Chad said. “But this is all material. We can replace it. We can’t replace people. We can’t replace the relationships that are built here.”
Their business, initially developed a couple months before the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, has already proved resilient before.
They believe the community will continue to show up in their time of need.
“This is our busy time,” Christy said. “This is the time of year that we plan to save, to get us through slow times, because summer is usually slow. If [people] can come to the drive-thru when we reopen, that would be great.”
An exact timeline for a full reopening is not yet clear. But, they hope to have their drive-thru reopen by the end of the week. The couple is also working to fulfill orders on its website.