Bayside attempts to get back in business

Soon it may be possible to sit down at the Bayside Restaurant without any unplanned interruptions.

It was a little more than a week ago that the Havelock eatery experienced the worst forms of party crashing when an irate motorist upset about a woman plowed his car into the dining room doing major damage to the business.

The Bayside has been out of business ever since. Employees and volunteers have been working nonstop to help the restaurant reopen.

"Havelock has helped us," said John Curtis Adams, night manager at the restaurant. "They’re sticking with us."

Adams was hit in the head when Donnavan Kendell Yates, 23, of Newport, drove his Ford Escort through the brick facade of the building sending tables and booths flying at 4 a.m. on Oct. 26.

Yates has been charged with felony assault with a dangerous weapon inflicting serious injury, two counts of assault with a deadly weapon, injury to real property and reckless endangerment. He is scheduled to make a court appearance on Nov. 17.

Meanwhile, work continues to get the restaurant open again.

"We’re going to start like it’s a new beginning," said Adams.

On Monday, Adams was replacing ceiling tiles as a carpenter was installing new interior paneling and trim, and workers were out front preparing to re-brick the entire facade of the 25-year-old restaurant.

"We’ve got painters, carpenters and everybody in here," he said. "There’s so much going on. We have a lot of volunteers in here helping us out. We really do appreciate it."

He said he hoped to have the restaurant open again in about a week.

"It’s going to be a big improvement," he said. " … It’s just a slow process.

"We have so many people that love this place. We want to get open just as soon as we can. Let everybody know we really appreciate all of Havelock’s help."

Adams sported a small bandage over his left eyebrow where he had gotten 19 stitches when apparently struck by a table.

"I’m going to have a little scar, but other than that I’m alright," he said.

Bayside Restaurant owner John Adams, Curtis’ father, was inside the plastic shrouded kitchen on the phone Monday discussing insurance and how to pay for all of the work.

Who ends up paying for all of the damages is still up in the air. The restaurant is going through an attorney to deal with insurance companies.

"It’s a much bigger project than we thought at first, but we’ll get through," John Adams said. "They’re coming along with it."

The elder Adams was also injured slightly when the vehicle landed in the dining room.

Curtis Adams estimated that the business had to throw out $12,000 worth of food as a result of the incident, a result of an order from the county health department because of potential contamination from debris from the crash.

"That hurt us a lot," he said.

For now, he said Bayside just needs to get back open to make some money.

"We need business," he said. "We need business bad."