By Clay LePard
clepard@cbs4qc.com
The city of Eldridge is still picking up the pieces after a fire tore through a local landmark back in January.
Owner David Delvichio say's he will rebuild. Although, he adds not a day goes by where he doesn't miss the old bar and restaurant.
"It's been pretty much my whole life since I was 18 years old," Delvichio says. "I worked here and helped my dad out and bought it 8 years ago, it's where I got married, pretty much everything I've ever done – I've done here."
The owner says the new Del's will keep very little from the old restaurant but still have the same vibe. "It's going to be similar," Delvichio adds. "Not probably going to be two stories, probably just one story because we don't need all that space, so we're just looking for something to have a Del feel to it with all the amenities."
The state fire marshal is still trying to figure out what caused the January fire.
"I've heard from everybody that has been in, fireman and stuff, there's nothing really salvageable," says Delvichio.
Along with starting from scratch, Delvichio says the new building won't be in the exact same spot.
"When it was built in 1900, there weren't all the rules there are now. So you have to be so many feet back from the road."
Looking back, he says he's sad not only for himself and the community, but also for those who were looking forward to making memories at the local restaurant.
"I was booked seven out of the next eight weeks with weddings or parties or birthdays or trivia nights, so it was getting into our busy time of the year," he adds.
Once he gets the go- ahead from the insurance company, Delvichio hopes to have the new del's up and running by October.
