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Business & Tech

Grasshopper Too Reopens After Two Months

Major remolding work needed after establishment received 4 feet of water from Hurricane Irene.

A remodeled opened its doors to customers on Friday, after flooding from Hurricane Irene in late August.

“This was the first time we ever got flooded, and we figured we’d do a full remodel and make it more people friendly,” owner Tom Fitzpatrick said. “This remodel has been a God send.”

By 8:30 p.m. Friday there were 150 people in the restaurant.

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The inside of the restaurant and pub was painted red and green, with an antiqued finish and has small sayings in Gaelic on the walls. There is a new parking lot, floor tiles, bathrooms, dining room, and bar.

The wall between the bar and dining room has been torn down.

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High tables and booths of mahogany surround the bar. The floor of the bar and dining room is made up of brand new tile and slate.

Fitzpatrick installed 24 high-definition flat-screen televisions inside the establishment.

“I think it needed to be more modernized,” Kimberly Ingui, who was sitting near the bar with a friend, said.

This was the first time ever Grasshopper Too was flooded. The area surrounding the establishment floods often, but Grasshopper’s elevated parking lot has prevented it from suffering an ill-effects caused by flooding until Hurricane Irene blasted North Jersey. Fitzpatrick said that  has told him that he can open the resturant right away after each flood, which he has.

“But there’s a stigma that comes with opening right away,” he said. “People assume you’re not sanitary. That’s not the case for us though because this was the first flood we’ve ever encountered.”

Fitzpatrick said he did not exactly know how much the project cost, but did say that it cost “a bit.”

“I saw people come in as kids, and now I see them come in with their own kids,” Fitzpatrick said. “This is the kind of place that thrives on locals.  It was in need of an update.”

Customers were complimentary of the changes.

“I’m impressed with the restorations and how quickly and how well they were done,” Ethan Morgan said.

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