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Provincetown restaurant sees outpouring of support after severe flooding
“It makes you think about why you live here and why you rebuild.”
As he watched the rain beat down last Thursday night and pored over ominous tide schedules, Paul Fanizzi had a sinking feeling.
By Friday morning, he knew something was wrong; his restaurant, located along the water in Provincetown, had flooded.
Winter weather
The force of the storm was enough to bounce the floors at Fanizzi’s Restaurant and break through its wall, he told Boston.com. The powerful storm brought torrential rain to most of the state, pelting Cape Cod with heavy wind.
It wasn’t Fanizzi’s first rodeo — the restaurant faced a similar storm in 2002, just one year after opening.
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“We’ve been through it before,” he said. “I mean, I know what to do; I know what not to do.”
While he shies away from recognition, Fanizzi said he feels blessed to be part of Provincetown and enjoys giving back to the community.
“It gives you the will to rebuild every time these types of things happen,” he said.
The building is now secured, and Fanizzi said he is waiting on insurance adjusters to come by. He said he’ll try to reopen the bar area and street-side dining room in a few weeks, and hopes to reopen the full restaurant by early March.
After announcing the flooding and closure, Fanizzi was met with an outpouring of support, not only from locals, but also from vacationers who have visited the popular restaurant over the years.
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A GoFundMe fundraiser for Fanizzi’s employees, whose livelihoods were threatened by the storm damage, raised more than $63,000 from nearly 600 donors as of Wednesday afternoon. In the comments section, donors shared fond memories of the seaside restaurant.
“It’s overwhelming,” Fanizzi said of the support. “It makes you think about why you live here and why you rebuild.”
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