'I’m proud': Wauwatosa's beloved Café Hollander reopens after facing severe flood damage

WAUWATOSA, Wis. (CBS 58) -- A big day for the city of Wauwatosa, as a beloved restaurant overcomes hundreds of thousands of dollars in damages from August's historic flooding.

"My heart is racing right now because I’m so proud," said Ileana Rivera, the chief creative officer for the Lowlands Group.

Serving the community for more than 15 years, Café Hollander finally reopened their doors Friday night, Sept. 26, for their grand reopening.

After several weeks, and hundreds of thousands of dollars' worth of clean up and rebuilding, Café Hollander is back.

"It’s only proven that when times are rough, we know how to gather, we know how to work together," said Rivera. "We know to be each other’s best friends in this community.”

Thanks to the help of their workers and the community, Rivera says they were able to fully rebuild their kitchen, which took on several inches of water from flooding.

"I’m proud of every single person who made the difference for us, but also proud that people came out and are supporting us,” said Rivera.

The reopening is a moment many loyal customers have been anxiously awaiting, counting down the moments for good eats and drinks at their favorite local spot.

"It's good to see part of your community you know bounce back so quickly from something that was devastating for not just this business but everybody in the neighborhood," said loyal customer, Domingo Colon. "The city in general was hurting. It's just good to see the resilience of the place, means a lot to the people here in the village.”

For many, Café Hollander has become more than just a restaurant, but a part of their family.

 “My daughter grew up here using little triangular crayons from the day Hollander opened here and so we’re just super thrilled to have it come back.”

As of part of the reopening, the Lowlands Group will donate one dollar on select drinks to the Milwaukee Repertory Theater, who was hit with millions of dollars' worth of flood damage to their sets and props, as well as other essential items.