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Houston restaurant reopens after more than a week without power

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Houston restaurant reopens after more than a week without power

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A Houston restaurant is set to reopen after being closed for a week after Hurricane Beryl struck Texas, causing power outages for more than 2 million CenterPoint Energy and Entergy Texas customers.

Dandelion Cafe, a popular brunch spot in Houston’s Bellaire neighborhood, will open Wednesday. The restaurant is one of several in the Houston area that said it has taken a financial hit due to a power outage.

Dandelion Cafe Loses Over $50,000 in Revenue Due to Power Outages

Sarah Lieberman, owner of Dandelion Cafe, said via Zoom that her business lost nearly $50,000 due to the power outages. Many of the resources needed to run the cafe, like eggs, buttermilk, etc., couldn’t be kept. Lieberman said what made the situation even more frustrating was that a business next door to hers had power. Power returned to the cafe on July 15.

“I didn’t think we would be out this long,” Liberman said. “We were here during Harvey. We’ve been open for almost eight years and (during) Harvey, we didn’t lose any power at all. So I wasn’t that worried about it. And Bellaire in general, it’s pretty stable as far as our power grid here. So I didn’t really expect it to be out. I knew it might be hard to get product, but I certainly didn’t expect a week and a half.”

How did Dandelion Café make money during the power outage?

Customers purchased gift cards to Dandelion Cafe and shared their purchases on social media, helping to create buzz. Lieberman found creative ways to keep the business going by sharing the Dandelion Cafe’s address on social media, where they would sell their drinks.

Houston lawyer plans to sue CenterPoint on behalf of restaurants that lost power due to Beryl

According to the Houston Chronicle, the Buzbee Law Firm, which represents a group of Houston restaurants, has filed a class action lawsuit against CenterPoint Energy. The suit has not yet been filed, so it is unclear which restaurants are seeking to sue.

Lieberman said Dandelion Cafe is not part of the class action, but has spoken with the law firm about potential action.

Texans still without power a week after Beryl

More than 200,000 CenterPoint Energy customers without power have been battling the heat a week after Hurricane Beryl swept through southeast Texas.

CenterPoint Energy, the Houston-area utility that maintains infrastructure for more than 2.8 million customers across Texas, said it restored power faster than during recent storms. However, the company estimates that about 226,000 customers will still be without power eight days after Beryl. Some of those customers won’t have power until Friday, according to the company’s tracking.

More: Texas Gov. Greg Abbott Demands Answers on Ongoing Power Outages One Week After Beryl

CenterPoint Power Restoration Card

The map does not indicate when power will return, but it does show areas of Houston highlighted in four colors.

  • Green This means that electricity has returned, although isolated outages in individual homes may persist.
  • Light green This means that the power has returned, but with potential outages embedded within.
  • Blue This means that crews have been assigned to restore power and work is underway.
  • Orange This means that CenterPoint is still assessing the damage.

Restoration progress: Find your address on CenterPoint’s new power restoration map.

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