The Palace open despite ongoing repair

By Hayley Sylvester

Staff Writer

 

Despite the scaffolding out front, The Palace is open for business. The tornado that hit Tuscumbia on February 15 left a trail of destruction through downtown along Fifth and Sixth Streets. Many businesses have been making the repairs needed to reopen.

But getting the repairs completed hasn’t been easy. “It’s just a waiting game,” said Paige Thompson, General Manager of the Palace. Insurance companies are overburdened with claims. Repairs are slow going, but they are going. Thompson says that a knee wall and the roof needs to be fixed before they – the customers and employees – can all feel safe.

Though the front door is closed because of the scaffolding, the Palace has a side door on Fifth Street with a black fabric canopy where patrons can enter. The side door is connected to a building the Palace has repurposed as an arcade and game room, which they rent out for birthday parties and other events.

The first week the Palace reopened, the restaurant was slammed with members of the community stopping by to show their support. The Palace’s assistant manager, Tessa Flack, said, “I’m thankful for the support that we’ve been getting from the locals after the damage.”  Since then, business has slowed a little. Customers are still hesitant to come inside because of the chaos out front.

“We are thankful for all our customers and their support. We want to get our regulars back. We want them to have breakfast and lunch with us,” Thompson said. Despite the trouble, Thompson is confident that business will pick up when the weather starts to get warm. “People will want to come in for ice cream.”

The Palace is open from 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Saturday. Closed on Sunday.