WATERLOO -- For downtown Waterloo, the flood of 2008 officially becomes a thing of the past Monday.

That's when, by Main Street Waterloo's count, the last major downtown business closed by the June deluge will reopen.

The Happy Chef, at 218 W. Mullan Ave., is scheduled to reopen at 7 a.m. Monday.

"I certainly hope so," owner Chuck Melby said of putting the flood in the past.

Melby, who owns three other Happy Chefs that the flood did not touch, including two in Cedar Rapids and one at 1409 W. First St. in Cedar Falls, said he will be reopening the downtown Waterloo location with a splash, including menu specials and other promotions.

"We will be open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner," he said. "I will be offering grand reopening specials in The Courier this upcoming week, as well as a pull-tab promotion for the first 1,200 customers to win prizes."

A local pork producer, who requested anonymity, has contributed locally raised and processed pork to the downtown location for use in featured specials during the reopening, Melby said.

The restaurant also will resume its no-limit breakfast buffet from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Sundays.

"I am excited to be able to have the opportunity to serve again, and I am inviting our past patrons to return, as well as an invitation to the Cedar Valley community to make our post-flood opening a success," Melby said.

He added that the restaurant will have 25 employees, up from 22 before the flood. Ryan Christensen, part of the downtown restaurant's management team and one of eight returning employees, is back as manager.

The Happy Chef has been shut down since June 11.

Work began on rehabilitating the restaurant in late August. In addition to remodeling the interior of the building, Melby said, the building has fresh landscaping and a new roof.

Melby said he had no insurance, no help from the federal government and, for a while, little financing available to restart his casual-dining establishment, which he has operated at that location since 1979.

He estimated he had lost about $250,000 in sales at the idled Waterloo restaurant.

Getting the business up and running required help from numerous people, Melby noted.

"We've gotten support from my vendors, the building owner, Chuck Heen, and especially my employees who have stayed with me to make our reopening possible," he said.

Contact Jim Offner

at (319) 291-1598 or

jim.offner@wcfcourier.com.