Hat reopens west Davenport location

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By Mary Louise Speer | Thursday, June 7, 2007 12:16 AM CDT | () comments

At 4 p.m. today, the doors of the Hat Eatery and Pub will reopen for business. The restaurant at 1618 W. Locust St., formerly known as Chef’s Hat, was forced to close temporarily after a fire on Nov. 18.

The interior has a lighter appearance with new furnishings and an arcade room. Karaoke nights are expected to begin soon. Matthew Plambeck and John Doyle, who had taken over ownership of the Hat less then a month before the fire occurred, also have a location in Bettendorf.

Bartender Patti Liske, who is related to former Hat owner Jerry Liske, looks forward to seeing previous customers. “They’re not clients, they’re friends. I’ve missed these people and it’s better then ‘Cheers’ ever was. Everyone loves everyone,” she said.

November’s grease fire started in the kitchen and spread, causing heavy damage in the kitchen and roof. The silver lining afterward was the strong surge of concern from customers and friends.

“We were thankful for the quick response of the police and fire departments and no one getting hurt,” Doyle said. He also is thankful for “the unbelievable support we got from the community. People calling and leaving messages on the answering machine saying ‘we’re praying for you.’ ”

Several establishments gave Hat personnel temporary positions to help bridge the gap between closing and reopening. About 22-23 of the 25-person staff are returnees, Doyle said.

“As an owner, that really makes me feel good to know we’ve got quality people who want to come back, ” he said.

Initially, the owners hoped to be open for business a month after the fire, Doyle said. But the insurance company recommended gutting the interior and renovating, he said. Vintage Homes, Davenport, was the lead contractor on the renovation.

“It’s still the same place. We’ve just made it a little brighter,” said manager Brooke Plambeck, who is married to Matthew Plambeck.

Hours are 3 p.m. to midnight Monday, 11 a.m. to midnight Tuesday-Thursday, 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. Friday and Saturday, and 11 a.m. to midnight Sunday.

The business desk can be contacted at (563) 383-2452 or newsroom@qctimes.com. Comment on this story at qctimes.com