The rebuild is underway at Community Restaurant in Zeeland

Austin Metz, The Holland Sentinel
·2 min read
The rebuild is officially on at Community Restaurant in Zeeland following a groundbreaking event on Wednesday, May 31, featuring restaurant employees, family members and community leaders.
The rebuild is officially on at Community Restaurant in Zeeland following a groundbreaking event on Wednesday, May 31, featuring restaurant employees, family members and community leaders.

ZEELAND — The rebuild is officially on at Community Restaurant in Zeeland following a groundbreaking event on Wednesday, May 31, featuring restaurant employees, family members and community leaders.

It’s been close to 14 months since the decades-old restaurant was declared a total loss following an overnight fire.

Those months have been difficult, according to owner Barry Elzinga, who's appeared before Zeeland City Council and the Zeeland Planning Commission to make the rebuild possible.

More: Community Restaurant in Zeeland 'a total loss' after devastating fire

More: Community Restaurant taking steps to rebuild beloved eatery in Zeeland

No matter how difficult it was, Elzinga said he never wavered — Community Restaurant was coming back.

“They think it'll be ready by mid-to-late December, so we're about six or seven months out,” Elzinga told The Sentinel. “I'd expect a few delays along the way, but if it's done earlier, all the better. Just seeing something happening out there now is something to experience.”

It’s been close to 14 months since the decades-old Community Restaurant was declared a total loss following an overnight fire.
It’s been close to 14 months since the decades-old Community Restaurant was declared a total loss following an overnight fire.

Elzinga said it was emotional, seeing so many people come down to show their support on Wednesday. The rebuild will reuse the foundation — a move that saves significant money — and will be roughly the same size as before at 421 E. Main Ave.

“I’ll be honest, there were times where I began to question whether this was actually going to happen and if I was going to be able to pull this off,” Elzinga said. “Just getting to this point today, where the ground has been broken and there are people working, it's just an amazing feeling.”

The restaurant, a Zeeland staple, was owned and operated by Lyle Van Klompenberg for years before his son, Korde, purchased the business with Elzinga in 2020. At this point, Elzinga has taken over sole ownership of the restaurant.

He plans to modernize parts of the restaurant, but touches of the past and a similar menu will remain.

Elzinga said it was the support of the local community that kept him going.

“There were days where my wife and I were down, but seeing people and seeing how badly people wanted it back ... that's what honestly got us through," he said. "Looking ahead to the day we can actually open, that's going to be quite overwhelming.”

For updates, visit facebook.com/CommRestaurant.

— Contact freelancer Austin Metz at ametz@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: The rebuild is underway at Community Restaurant in Zeeland