https://www.thetelegraph.com/news/article/Abigail-8217-s-won-8217-t-let-high-water-dampen-13941532.php
Abigail's in Grafton won't let high water dampen its spirits
Jeanie Stephens, jeanie.stephens@thetelegraph.com
Updated 9:11 pm CDT, Wednesday, June 5, 2019
Brad Hagen stands outside of his new restaurant, Abigail's, at 217 Main St., Grafton. The restaurant opened Friday during what has become the second highest flood in history for the region. Hagen also owns the Grafton Oyster Bar, currently closed due to high water.
Brad Hagen stands outside of his new restaurant, Abigail's, at 217 Main St., Grafton. The restaurant opened Friday during what has become the second highest flood in history for the region. Hagen also owns
GRAFTON — A new restaurant opened its doors in the village Friday, despite what has become the second highest flood in history for the area.
Brad Hagen, owner of the Grafton Oyster Bar and the former executive chef of the Broadway Oyster Bar in St. Louis, was looking to open another restaurant when the owner of a restaurant in the Ruebel Hotel on Main Street in Grafton decided he wanted to retire.
A month later, Abigail's Tap Room at 217 E. Main St. is open and offering gourmet burgers, sandwiches, smoked chicken wings, prime rib, salads and pizza with sauce made in-house. With more than 20 years of restaurant experience, Hagen said he decided to pursue the new restaurant even though Grafton was experiencing flooding.
"I didn't know it was going to be the flood it is," he said. "I really thought this end of town needed another restaurant."
Hagen said that, with the exception of The Loading Dock on Front Street, there were no other restaurants from the center of Grafton heading toward Alton. He noted many people walk the sidewalks to peruse local shops and to seek a place to eat.
Abigail's offers a "little bit more of a family environment," he said, adding he's not trying to compete with the taverns and bars in town that also offer food. Abigail's is inside the Ruebel Hotel, built in 1874 and considered the No. 1 haunted hotel in Illinois. After a 1912 fire, people began claiming to see apparitions of a small child, named Abigail — the inspiration for the restaurant's name.
Abigail's can seat around 160 people, inside and outside, and Hagen plans to install an outside bar and offer music. On Saturday, Steve Mellas of The Outlaw Opry band will play 6-10 p.m. during what Hagen is calling a flood and St. Louis Blues watch party.
"We're going to just focus on trying to support the community through this restaurant, even though it's financially tough," he said. "We're trying to give back."
Last weekend, the restaurant fed those who helped sandbag with coupons for $10 off a meal, enough for a burger or other menu items. On Wednesday, the restaurant fed about 17 members of the Illinois National Guard, city officials and employees. Hagen notes he's not the only one hurting financially due to the flood.
"There are so many people being affected," he said. "But we want to try to let people know that Grafton is open and that we're going to do whatever we can do to create business.
"The biggest thing we can say is thank you to the people who supported us and the people who will continue to come to support Grafton, because Grafton is strong and will be back," he said.
Hagen said the Grafton Oyster Bar has only been open a total of 14 days since March 25. He expects the earliest the parking lot will be clear is June 18 or 19. The oyster bar did a total of $22,000 in sales in May, he said, compared to $240,000 in sales in May 2018.
"I've been losing money since January," he said. "It's tough to financially blow through everything you made last year just trying to support your employees and keep it going."
Hagen said the restaurant has also experienced more than a few operational challenges, including the removal of its gas meter the day before the official opening.
"I was devastated," he said.
With $6,000 in product, he borrowed a propane fryer from Oliver Reedy of O'Jan's Fish Stand and they've been grilling outside under a canopy, in addition to using a butane cooktop unit. Hagen has also been using a refrigerated truck parked outside the restaurant as a walk-in cooler since water got so high Saturday it knocked out the walk-in cooler inside.
He said the health department has visited and approved of everything he's doing.
"I'm thankful that I have a lot of dedicated people who work for me and stick by my side," he said. "It's just a matter of getting through it. That's all you can do.
"I try to teach my employees that you can make a bad situation into a good situation and there's nothing we can't accomplish together," he said. "I believe in that and that's why I continue to do what I do."
Hagen said that once the River Road is open again, visitors will return to Grafton. Visitors currently can reach Abigail's by taking Illinois 3, turning left on Grafton Hills Drive, and then going right on Illinois 100 in Grafton.