Buckhead Mountain Grill is preparing to re-open just in time for Thunder over Louisville

JEFFERSONVILLE, Ind. (WDRB) -- A popular restaurant along the Ohio River in Jeffersonville was damaged by fire, but now Buckhead Mountain Grill is preparing to re-open just in time for Thunder over Louisville.

In hard hats, they're hard at work. Crews bring in large beams and nail in wood panels. Owner Wes Johnson says, "We're putting a new tile floor in the bar area to replace the wood floor that was there. We've opened up over here a wall that used to separate the bar from this side dining room."

Johnson is excited about the possibilities for his restaurant that sits along the Ohio River. Back in December, the fire department was called there. Johnson says it was an electrical fire and the restaurant has been closed ever since.

Johnson explains, "It's been trying. It would have been a four month process once we get back open and we're in the business of running restaurants and not rehabbing them, but unfortunately we've found ourselves in this position."

The restaurant had major water and smoke damage, but new walls are being put up and now there's is no smoke smell at all.

Johnson says it required, "Taking walls literally apart down to the studs, to wipe and clean, to spray them with certain chemicals and cleaners and paint to get rid of smoke smell."

Workers are spending countless hours to get the restaurant ready to open on April 9th, just in time for Thunder over Louisville. That's the restaurants's busiest day of the year.

Johnson says, "We've actually sold almost all of the restaurant inside and outside tables. We have a few available, not many."

Buckhead's is making some changes to the inside of the restaurant and it's adding 40 new draft lines, mostly craft beers. There will be some definite "cheers" for when the restaurant is open again, as Johnson explains : "We've made the best of a very difficult situation and we're excited to have it behind us for sure and get back open so we can get back to business."

The restaurant had 100 employees at the time of the fire. Most will be rehired back. Buckhead's plans to hire an additional 100 for deck season.