Al an’ Ruben’s closed following burst waterline
Courtesy of Al an’ Ruben’s
Clean-up is underway at Al an’ Ruben’s Bar and Grill on Jefferson Avenue in Canton Township after a frozen waterline burst, causing damage to the interior. The restaurant is closed during the restoration.
Courtesy Al an’ Ruben’s
The cold snap over Christmas caused a waterline burst at Al an’ Ruben’s in Canton Township, forcing the restaurant to close until damage caused by the rupture to the interior of the restaurant is repaired.
Observer-Reporter
Al Collins, owner of Al an’ Ruben’s Bar and Grill, is shown in this file photo.
In a devastating case of lightning striking twice, Al an’ Ruben’s Bar and Grill in Canton Township is closed after a frozen water pipe burst on Christmas Day, causing extensive water damage.
In 2018, a ruptured waterline flooded the Jefferson Avenue restaurant, causing nearly $225,000 in damage.
Al Collins, owner and head chef, discovered the most recent weather-related catastrophe on Dec. 26.
“I opened the second door to get inside and I felt a squish, and I said, ‘Oh no, you’ve gotta be kidding me,” said Collins, recalling the moment he walked into the building the day after Christmas to get a jump start on preparing New Year’s Eve catering orders.
“You’ve just gotta keep on going. There’s nothing you can really do, just grin and bear it,” said Collins.
Collins hopes to have the restaurant up and running in roughly a month, as clean-up is underway. He said a meeting with the insurance carrier is scheduled for this week, and he hopes repairs can start soon.
Collins said the damage is not as extensive as it was in January 2018, when a waterline break went undetected for a week, while Collins and his wife and co-owner, Leesa, enjoyed a long-planned Caribbean cruise.
That mishap – coupled with heavy rains a month later that flooded the parking lot – forced Al an’ Ruben’s to close for nearly five months.
“This wasn’t anywhere near as bad as 2018, when I was in the middle of the ocean and water ran in my building for seven days. This time, I caught it in one day,” said Collins. “The last time, we lost everything.”
Last month, Collins spent $45,000 for roof repairs and other renovations, and he had counted on business from Christmas and New Year’s – the busiest time of the year for restaurants – to bolster finances.
In the immediate aftermath of the restaurant’s latest setback, Collins felt defeated.
But patrons have rallied around Collins and the beloved local eatery, launching a Go Fund Me page that raised more than $9,000 and offering to pitch in for clean-up
Collins said he is grateful for the outpouring of support from customers.
“I’m blown away by that. My mission in life is to help others, not be helped. Our customers are the greatest customers on the planet. They are the most loyal people on earth, and we love them like family,” said Collins.
And, said Collins, despite the constant demands and challenges of running a restaurant, he enjoys making good food.
As a child, Collins – known for his signature Italian dishes and cheesecakes – spent many of his days in the kitchen of his grandmother, Shirley Blair, who raised him after his mother died before Collins turned 2.
“She was my best friend in the world. When I was four or five years old, I’d be in the kitchen with her, and she taught me to cook. I learned a lot from her. My fondest memories were being up until 2, 3, 4 a.m. in the morning on Christmas Eve and Thanksgiving, cooking, and I loved the smell of that food,” he said.
His uncles were chefs, including his uncle Calvin Blair, who was a chef at Lombardozzi Restaurant in Bloomfield, where dishes such as Veal a la Calvin and Steak Blairio were named after him.
“I thought my uncle was famous. When I was a kid, I’d watch Chiller Theater because he was in a commercial that came on during Chiller Theater. His food was featured in it, and they’d say his name, and I wanted to be like him,” said Collins, who has no formal culinary training.
He has owned Al an’ Ruben’s for about 15 years. Collins said his faith has helped him to endure the challenges his business has faced in recent years.
And he has leaned on it through personal tragedies, most significantly the losses of his son and his father, who both died from COVID-19 within 36 hours of each other in 2021.
Collins is keeping customers updated on the restaurant’s progress on Al an’ Ruben’s Facebook page. Patrons are eager to return to the eatery, for the food and Al and Leesa Collins’s company.
“I believe that my mission is to make the world a better place. When people are sad, they come here to be prayed for they and they know they’re going to be cared for, and get a good meal,” said Collins. We love people. We’ll be back.”