Robert and Jessica Ayala, surrounded by county and city officials, cut the ribbon on their renovated restaurant
One of Harrisburg’s favorite brunch spots is back in full swing.
Home 231 staff, along with local officials, celebrated the North Street restaurant’s grand reopening on Wednesday, after weeks of construction and temporary hours.
“I’m excited to get back to normal hours and pick right back up,” said Jessica Ayala, who co-owns Home 231 with her husband Robert.
In January, the building suffered extensive water damage when pipes in the apartment above the restaurant burst. Much of the main dining room was damaged, requiring it to be stripped to the beams and reconstructed, according to Jessica.
During the weeks since then, the restaurant has only been open on Saturdays and Sundays.
But today, the Ayala’s opened for their first weekday lunch and resumed business as normal, with hours on Tuesday through Sunday.
The Harrisburg Area Chamber of Commerce hosted a ribbon-cutting to commemorate Home 231’s reopening, along with its 10-year anniversary.
“This hasn’t been the easiest time for restaurants,” said Ryan Unger, the chamber’s president and CEO. “[Home 231] has continued to evolve and it’s been great to watch. We will continue to frequently appreciate your investment.”
Before the water damage even hit, Home 231, like all restaurants, was already dealing with the negative impacts of the pandemic, but according to Jessica, they found ways to adapt. For a while, they set up tables, tents and fire pits in the neighboring parking lot to allow people to safely dine outside.
“COVID gave us a chance to reinvent ourselves,” she said. “It was hard, but it gave us a new set of challenges.”
The restaurant has certainly faced its share of difficulties over the past months, but that didn’t stop the Ayalas, who are just grateful to be back in action.
Not to mention, they opened today with a new menu debuting.
“We reopened up, so we might as well start off fresh,” Robert said.
Home 231 is located at 231 North St., Harrisburg. For more information, visit their website.
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