INDIANAPOLIS — Cynthia and Isaac Wilson didn’t think they’d be where they are today.
"First, I want to say thank you guys. Thank you to the community. Thank you for supporting us down through the years. We’ve been around here for 30 years, and you guys never let us down," Isaac said.
A devastating fire, a pandemic and post-pandemic life have made things difficult for the owners of Kountry Kitchen. After their business burned down in January 2020, the community, local government and other businesses stepped in to help this family pick up the pieces.
"Everyone came to our rescue, and that made us feel good," Cynthia said.
Thursday, they celebrated a new beginning. The new Kountry Kitchen covers five lots at the corner of 19th Street and College Avenue. With more than 14,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor space, the restaurant, and now event space, will be able to seat up to 300 people inside and an additional 120 to 150 guests on the outdoor rooftop space.
"When you go through a devastating fire, or anything devastating, you sometimes think, 'Can I come back?' But with the will and determination and much prayer, we decided to come back," Cynthia said. "That tragedy turned into a blessing. When you go through things, you really don’t know what the outcome is going to be. But if you have God in your life, He's going to make a way, and they made a way for us."
The new restaurant is open Tuesday through Sunday from 10:30 a.m. until 8 p.m. It is closed on Mondays, according to the restaurant's website.