First downtown restaurant to reopen after flood uncertain about future

The first downtown restaurant to reopen after the June 2008 flood is mulling whether to close, even though business has improved since the flood.

Victor's Place, 209 3rd St. SE, reopened less than two months after the historic June 2008 flood filled the small restaurant with water.

Co-owner Becky Bateman said that she and husband Victor Rocha decided not to exercise a two-year extension option on their initial three-year lease with the building's owner, Steve Emerson, recently. Emerson agreed to work with the couple on a month-to-month leasing basis through the summer months.

Business is usually better in the summer months, Bateman said, and the couple want to see if a recent upturn in business is a recovery or a fluke.

Business overall improved after the flood, Bateman said. Victor's reopened less than seven weeks after the flood, and gained new customers because it was the only restaurant operating in the post-flood area for a while.

Even so, Victor's Place will need more business to convince Bateman and Rocha to remain open.

“I think downtown in the long-term will do well,” Bateman said. “The thing is going to be time. We're not getting any younger. We've got two kids who are going to be in high school next year.”

The general economy seems to be having more of an effect than the flood, Bateman said, with businesses more reluctant to cater events, and more downtown employees brown-bagging it to save a few bucks.

The completion of big public like a new federal courthouse, new downtown library, and the expansion of the U.S. Cellular Center will definitely help the downtown food establishments, but are are still two or three years away, Bateman said.

“For us, I don't know if the timing is right,” Bateman said.

If they decide to close, they won't blame the flood.

“We were very lucky,” the restaurateur said. “We had help with our recovery through Adopt-A-Business. We don't have a ton of debt.”

Victor's specializes in burritos and sandwiches with fresh ingredients, many of which are prepared for take-out.