Restaurants came together on Thursday night to help out former employees of Coach’s Bar & Grill who are now out of jobs following bad flooding in late July.
The restaurant on 103rd Street had to close its doors following damage to the inside of the facility after heavy rain and flooding from Indian Creek on July 27.
On Thursday, more than 80 restaurants pledged to donate 10 percent of all receipts to help out employees who lost their jobs as a result of Coach’s closing its doors.
“Once again, the community got behind us. This time, the restaurant community,” owner Brian Darby explained. “We fight over customers, we fight for good employees. They rallied around my employees that went without jobs for a while."
Feet of water in late July led to Darby having to be rescued from inside his family-owned restaurant of 35 years.
The decision to close the business came just weeks after his father, Mike Darby, died in a homicide along Indian Creek Trail that still remains unsolved.
“The restaurant was almost a destination. It was home to a lot of regulars and it's gone,” he explained. “I was hoping that my son could continue it as well. A flood has wiped away what was hoping to be three generations of work."
Coach’s was one of the several businesses in the shopping center off 103rd Street that suffered extensive damage.
On Thursday, Darby said it was important for the metro area to address flooding concerns.
“This is something that is preventable. It just takes resources,” he explained. “This is not a random event. We know it's going to happen so let's solve it."
The same week other business owners along 103rd Street continued to look for new locations, FEMA officers came to the metro to meet with neighbors and hold an information session.
During the event at the Brush Creek Community Center on Wednesday, residents could learn more about the flood risk in their neighborhood, flood insurance, and resources to use in the future.
The session also included a look at maps showing flood risks across the metro area.
“With climate variation, we are seeing more rainfall and more rainfall in shorter periods of time,” explained FEMA member Chris Parsons. “Kansas City doesn't overall have a flooding problem, but there are certain areas that do need attention."
Parsons noted areas near Brush Creek, Indian Creek, Blue River, and the Missouri River as being particularly at risk of seeing possible flooding.
For a look at the flood risk near your neighborhood, visit https://msc.fema.gov/portal/search
