Bronx café works to rebuild outdoor dining space after it was destroyed by car crash

Owners say they want to rebuild the area at least by July 6, which is when the city is allowing indoor dining at half capacity.

News 12 Staff

Jun 28, 2020, 10:28 PM

Updated 1,563 days ago

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Havana Café on Castle Hill Avenue in the Bronx is working quickly to rebuild its outdoor seating area after a car crashed into it Friday.
Surveillance video caught the moment a car slammed into the outdoor seats and went barreling into the storefront around 1 a.m. Friday. Police say the driver took off after the crash, leaving the car behind.
The restaurant was closed at the time and no one was hurt.
Just last week, the restaurant's outdoor area was set up with tables and chairs for people eat and enjoy after months of quarantine. Now all that's left of the outdoor set up is debris.
The cafe is still open around the corner on Newbold Avenue for takeout and delivery. A large "We're Open" sign is covers the wrecked wall for now.
Owners say they want to rebuild the area at least by July 6, which is when the city is allowing indoor dining at half capacity. In the meantime, they’re staying positive.
"We've learned to be resilient . One of our mottos is ‘Castle Hill Strong.’ We know this is a setback but when we open we'll have indoor dining," says Ruben Rodriguez.