Damage at Arby's in Bridgewater after a vehicle hit the building. (Aldine Koster)
Update July 21, 2:30 p.m.
Restaurant managments has indicated the Arby’s in Bridgewater will be resuming operations on Tuesday after being struck by a car.
An engineer was contracted to assess the damage and determined the building could safely reopen.
Regular business hours will resume on Tuesday, and both the dining room and drive-thru will be fully operational. The only difference will be a portion of the lobby, which will be closed off while repairs are underway.
It comes as welcome news as the Arby’s is particularly busy this week with The Big Ex located just across the street running all week and not being able to operate would have led to a major hit to revenue.
Bridgewater Police say both speed and alcohol may have played a role in the crash that caused major damage to the Arby’s restaurant on Dufferin Street.
Officers patrolling the area early Sunday morning heard a loud crash and were shortly after called to the scene. A vehicle had veered off the road and struck the front of the restaurant, damaging the wall and sending fixtures flying inside the building.
Two adult women from Shelburne County were in the vehicle and were taken to South Shore Regional Hospital for treatment. Their current condition has not been disclosed.
Police are continuing their investigation and are asking anyone who may have witnessed the incident to contact them at 902-543-2464.
The restaurant’s owner, Aldine Koster, says the damage is significant and has forced the business to close temporarily during what would normally be a busy time during Bridgewater’s exhibition week. She estimates losses could reach several thousand dollars per day and says she’s waiting on engineering reports before reopening.
Koster says the building has been in the family since 1995 and called the incident “devastating.”
