A kitchen nightmare just came true at Cactus Rose, one of Wilton’s most popular restaurants. At around 8:30 p.m. Wednesday evening, Jan. 14, the water pipes of the overhead sprinkler burst inside the restaurant at 5 River Rd., flooding it and causing extensive damage.
Mother-daughter owners Katerina and Maria Pertesis say it was like a scene from a disaster movie, as water cascaded through the ceiling tiles into the restaurant onto tables and decor and staff. They say they were able to get everyone out safely, but it could have been much, much worse.
“I see water dripping in the kitchen. I call to my chef, ‘Norberto, move!’ because it started dripping on top of the hot oil. Thank God nothing happened to him. Thank God most of the people had left, except for four ladies right there,” Katerina says, pointing to a corner. “They saw the water, they started laughing, because it looked funny, but then it wasn’t funny. I said, ‘Please, everybody, get out,’ because I was so afraid.”
The emergency clean-up crew from ServPro has told the Pertesises they’ll likely be closed for a month. Right now the contractors are pulling sopping-wet ceiling tiles down and vacuuming out the water.
At one point, recalls Maria, there was 4-inches of water on the floor. “Lights were hanging down, water was dripping everywhere, it was traumatic,” she says.
“It’s crazy!” her mom says. “But thank God, my people and myself are okay. Everything else will get fixed. What are we going to do?”
The culprit, says ServPro owner Ralph DiCristofaro, was the sprinkler system. Most probably the pipes closest to the exterior froze and then burst, pushing all the water further into the system on the interior of the restaurant. The pressure there gave way, spilling through all the insulated air ducts and wiring above the drop ceiling tiles and breaking through.
Of course, insurance will cover most of the repairs, but Katerina says she and Maria definitely feel an emotional toll.
“It’s a hard thing, it’s like seeing your house falling apart. It’s heartbreaking. And we spent a lot of money here,” she says referring to the restaurant’s design. There’s even damage to the outside patio as well as the outdoor fireplace.
Insurance won’t cover lost income if the restaurant has to close for a month.
“Today, we had a party for 45 people [booked]. We have a lot of parties booked up right now. But what are you going to do?” Katerina sighs. Of course, she’s hopeful the restaurants customers from Wilton and beyond will support them when they reopen. When that will be, though, they don’t know. But she vows they will be back.
“Most definitely!” she laughs determinedly. “Brand new!”