'Pretty beat up right now': Square Scullery in Akron owners on potential loss of business

The owners of Square Scullery, which shut down the week after Christmas due to boiler pipes that burst on Christmas Day, were able to get into the restaurant last week to do some cleanup after the 1908 building's boiler valve was shut off Thursday.

That means the building that the restaurant is housed in, the American Legion Wendell L. Willkie Post 19 in Highland Square, was able to temporarily resume running water. More than two weeks after the pipes burst due to cold weather from Winter Storm Elliott, the building still has no heat.

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The American Legion, which owns the building and is the landlord for Square Scullery, had Wilson Plumbing in to turn the boiler valve off, said Square Scullery co-owner Matt Ulichney. Both the American Legion building owners and Square Scullery are working with their respective insurance companies on getting damage assessments, which have been moving slowly due to the volume of cases from the storm.

"That was a big part of getting insurance rolling too, is we couldn't get in to start even cleaning until we had at least running water" last week, co-owner Heather Ulichney said Monday.

A burst pipe on the building's second floor flooded Square Scullery's kitchen on the first floor and through its tile floor to the basement below, where the American Legion office area is located. Another boiler pipe burst on the first floor on the other side of the building and flooded into another active Legion club area of the basement.

The Legion's insurance covers the building and its infrastructure, while Square Scullery's insurance covers the contents of the restaurant, including food and equipment. Because the flooding happened during a holiday week, it took 1½ weeks for the restaurant owners to get through to their insurance company and talk to a representative.

Square Scullery will post updates on Sundays, Wednesdays

On Facebook, Square Scullery described the restaurant damage as "pretty close to a total loss." The owners have been sharing updates on the process with supporters on social media, and said Sunday that they plan to continue updates on Sundays and Wednesdays.

On Jan. 2 and 3, Legion members helped restaurant owners and staff soak up some of the water in the kitchen.

On Friday, Square Scullery threw out all the food in its coolers, which were filled with water. Staff also disinfected surfaces and ran pans that had been filled up with water through the dishwasher.

"We are just pretty beat up right now, I'm not gonna lie," Heather said. "Insurance is finally kind of rolling, since we could do some cleaning."

The restaurant kitchen's ceiling tile is swollen and filled with water and the lights in the ceiling were completely filled with water, she said. Water also got inside the restaurant's stainless steel equipment, so a maintenance expert will need to inspect it.

Dehumidifiers haven't been used and remediation efforts have not yet begun, more than two weeks after the flooding, Heather said. With each additional day that doesn't happen, the restaurant owners are concerned about mold and mildew growing.

The restaurant's most recent social media post Sunday says, "At this point, we feel confident to say that our space is unsafe & potentially dangerous for any of us to be in without respirator masks. After this week, if there are still zero remediation efforts being made, we will not step foot into our space until a professional assures us our safety to do so.

"This also means that tear out and repairs are still not even on the books. We're in this for the long haul, we just wish we had more push, as well as answers."

This week, restaurant staff will pack up everything it can from Square Scullery and begin removing it from the space.

Despite all the current challenges, the Square Scullery owners are hoping they'll be able to eventually reopen in the same Highland Square space.

"We are still hoping that repairs can occur," Heather said.

Work with Wilson Plumbing

American Legion Post 19 Cmdr. Chuck Lange said Monday that an insurance adjustor who visited last week said it would take seven to 10 days for a quote on damages.

In the meantime, a cleanup crew from Wilson Plumbing was arriving Tuesday morning to provide an estimate for cleanup.

"They're gonna bring out big dehumidifiers that dry everything out," Lange said.

He said Wilson is expected to do pipe repairs Monday. That would include removing a boiler pipe from the second floor and repairing the first-floor boiler pipe. The pipe repairs and work are estimated at just over $3,800.

"I gotta make sure that they get heat again," Lange said of Square Scullery.

The cleanup and remediation will be an additional quote. Lange expects the restaurant's ceiling to have to be replaced and said two spots in the ceiling of the Legion's basement canteen, where the water came through, also need to be replaced.

He estimated work would be done in another week or two.

A post on the American Legion's Facebook page Dec. 28 says, "All operations related to the American Legion, Post 19, are shutdown until further notice. Stay tuned! It could be a few full moons from now!"

Post 19 has been based in the building at 783 W. Market St., which is the former Whitelaw home, since 1938.

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The Ulichneys endured flooding in their own house in Highland Square in late 2021 after a bathroom pipe burst and caused damage on three floors.

As a result, they've become versed in water damage, Heather said.

"Both Square Scullery and the American Legion Post 19 are greatly impacted by this situation, and we look forward to working through this together to get through to the other side of this," she said.

The restaurant, which has 13 seats inside, has been housed in the American Legion building for more than four years. It had been maxed out in its 850-square-foot space, and the owners had been looking for a secondary space over the last two years.

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The plan was to run the original Highland Square space as a noodle bar, including takeout, and find a secondary, larger space for its full restaurant concept. The owners are continuing to work on finding that space and have asked community members to share information with them on any potential temporary or permanent new homes for Square Scullery.

Heather thanked patrons for their outpouring of good wishes for Square Scullery on social media.

"Those good vibes being sent right now are kind of what's pushing us through these days trying to juggle this and navigate through the motions," Heather said "We have a really incredible community."

Arts and restaurant writer Kerry Clawson may be reached at 330-996-3527 or kclawson@thebeaconjournal.com.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Square Scullery in Highland Square gives updates after flooding