NORTH LIMA Pizza shop bounces back

The restaurant reopened six months after being flooded with 3 feet of water.
THE VINDICATOR
By DON SHILLING
VINDICATOR BUSINESS EDITOR
NORTH LIMA -- Owners of the Belleria Pizzeria on Market Street have invested $320,000 to restore their restaurant, which was devastated by a flood Aug. 9.
"My retirement is put on hold for a while," said a smiling George Guarnieri, 56.
"Yeah, for 30 years," added his daughter, Josa Guarnieri, 27. "That's how long the loan is for."
The father-daughter team is in good spirits now because the restaurant just south of Western Reserve Road has been open for three weeks and customers are starting to return.
Their mood was much different Aug. 9. The downpour that day brought so much water that a wall of the restaurant caved in and 3 feet of water filled the restaurant.
"All of the equipment was floating," George Guarnieri said.
For a short time, Josa Guarnieri and some others were stranded in the flooded building because they couldn't open the door. Six men from the outside finally were able to force the door open wide enough to let them out.
The water peeled the carpet and tile off the floor and the paint off the walls.
"I was in a stupor the next day," Guarnieri said.
"We cried for a good week, but we knew we had to keep going," his daughter said.
Guarnieri said he couldn't bear closing the restaurant because of how hard his daughter has worked the past two years in managing the daily operations.
"You hate to work at something and see it wiped away," he said.
Business decisions
The Guarnieris took over the North Lima franchise two years ago from another franchisee. While Josa runs that location, her father operates a Belleria restaurant in Struthers, which he acquired six years ago.
That's when he returned to this area with his wife, Patty, after spending 25 years running a business in Florida. His daughter moved here five years ago after receiving a sociology degree from the University of South Florida.
After the flood, the father-daughter team almost decided to reopen at another location, but renovations moved so quickly at first that they decided to stay.
In the end, however, the need for architectural drawings and building permits stalled construction work. The restaurant was closed for six months.
They bought all new equipment in the kitchen, installed new tile and carpeting and put new padding and coverings on the booth seats.
Even though the restaurant is in a rented location, they borrowed $270,000 from the U.S. Small Business Administration for the renovation and also spent $50,000 of their own money. Their insurance didn't cover flood damage.
The landlord, Woodworth Properties, helped out with some of the building repairs and has installed a new drainage system outside.
Focus on customers
Guarnieri said he isn't sure how long it will take to pay back the loan, but he hopes it can be done in less than 30 years. His daughter said the focus now is on satisfying the customers, which has included adding new sandwiches and gyros.
"You don't think about the money," she said. "It's just part of doing business."
The other reason for staying at the location, the pair said, is that they believe in the future of North Lima. Commercial and residential construction will continue to grow in the area, and they didn't want to leave when the area could be ready to take off.
shilling@vindy.com