It was a simple statement, but one most people in the Chadds Ford area would be glad to hear: “Hank’s will be back.” That from Hank’s Place owner Anthony Young.
Young made the comment while addressing members of the Chadds Ford Business Association during the group’s April meeting, a breakfast session at Turner’s Mill, the Chadds Ford Township municipal building.
As most everyone knows, the little eatery at Route 1 and Creek Road in the village area of the township was destroyed in the Sept. 1 flood. The entire building was filled with water.
“Everybody has been awesome,” Young told the CFBA members.
He said random people would show up the day after and “got sloppy and dirty” helping him and his wife and co-owner Katie Young clean up.
The Youngs got permission from the township to put a small food trailer in the parking lot so they could at least offer grab-and-go service. And Anthony Young said, the offers of help still came in from other businesses in the area. The folks at Leaders Sunoco offered the use of the gas station's washrooms, and Casey Lafferty, the owner of the little strip with the U.S. Post Office and Agave Restaurant, has said they can move the trailer to his parking area when work begins on the rebuild of Hank’s Place.
According to Anthony Young, Hank’s will reopen about a year after the physical work begins on the rebuild. But he still needs several more approvals and waivers before the work can start.
The Youngs already have the demolition permit to raze the current structure and have gotten HARB approval for the proposed new building. They’ve also gotten word from the Sewer Authority that they won’t have to buy any new sewer capacity once the new building is up, even though the plan calls for 30 more seats.
The next step is for the Youngs to go to the Zoning Hearing Board to get a waiver to rebuild in the flood plain and for the number of parking spaces. The hearing is currently scheduled for 7 p.m. on May 18 at the township building.
After that, they’ll go back to the Planning Commission for recommendations of approval on land use, and for conditional use to have outdoor seating. The plans call for an elevated outdoor deck that will seat 30. Once the commission votes on its recommendations, the matter goes to the Board of Supervisors for final land use and conditional use approval.
Young summed up his comments to the CFBA members by saying “Things have been difficult, but the community has been just incredible…made this time a lot better. Thanks to the community, Hank’s will be back, bigger and better.”
About Rich Schwartzman
Rich Schwartzman has been reporting on events in the greater Chadds Ford area since September 2001 when he became the founding editor of The Chadds Ford Post. In April 2009 he became managing editor of ChaddsFordLive. He is also an award-winning photographer.
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