Waterlogged restaurant out of action
A central Wellington restaurant is facing more than a week of cleaning up after a night of heavy rain smashed a window, flooding the entire premises.
The significant damage to Hare Krishna Higher Taste, located on a subterranean level of the Old Bank Arcade, was discovered by staff at around 7.30am yesterday.
The not-for-profit eatery is run by the Wellington branch of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) and serves vegetarian food.
Trustee Jagdish Prasad said while it was the first time the restaurant had flooded, he wasn’t entirely surprised with water often pooling near the nowbroken window during heavy rainfall. ‘‘The biggest problem is that at the crossing [on the corner of Customhouse Quay and Hunter St] the drain is a major issue. Water flows onto the footpath.’’
The crossing in question has no curb, meaning there’s no barrier to stop water going onto the footpath and making its way down the Higher Taste steps.
By 3pm yesterday, the carpet was still damp to the touch with Prasad expecting the restaurant to be closed for ‘‘a week at least’’.
‘‘The water has gone all the way through to the kitchen at the back.’’
No other shops within the Old Bank Arcade shopping centre were affected by flooding.
Insurance assessors were on site yesterday, surveying the extensive damage. Prasad said it was disappointing that the res- taurant would have to be closed for so long but he and other members of ISKON Wellington were considering cooking food at their Newlands temple.
‘‘Just at lunchtimes, to give people the option.’’