In December of 2021, 77 people died and dozens of buildings were destroyed in Mayfield, Kentucky in the state's most devastating weather event of all time.
Among those buildings reduced to rubble -- a storied third-generation restaurant called Carr's Barn founded in 1950.
Thanks to many in the Charleston area, the family-owned restaurant will start anew with a fully donated "rolling restaurant."
The business on wheels, loaded with supplies, will depart from Saltwater Cowboys on Friday at 10 a.m. to make the 10-hour journey to Mayfield.
Carr’s Barn will reopen for business on Valentine's Day at 11:30 a.m. with a complimentary luncheon for Mayfield's first-responders and utility workers. It will be located at its original home at 216 W Broadway.
“It is overwhelming to think how human kindness can truly change despair to delight and bring joy to folks that have lost so much," said Suzy Flint, who co-owns the restaurant with her husband, Wayne. "Reopening Carr’s Barn will help Wayne and me get back to doing what we do best and give us all a sense of familiarity, which is at the core of our loss."
Contributors for the new restaurant include Kathy and Glen Lewis, Why Not Charleston, Tony Berenyi, Berenyi Inc., Jim Newsom, SC Port Authority; William Renfrow, Renfrow Construction; Darryl Griffin, Neal Brothers and the Banks brothers of Banks Construction.