Bobby Morrison wasn’t just worried about his home as Hurricane Helene roared through the Augusta area. He had no idea what was happening to Whiskey Bar Kitchen, the downtown dining-and-drinks venue he and his brother Kenny founded in 2012.
Fast-forward to Tuesday, where customers in indoor and sidewalk seating gathered at Whiskey Bar and several other downtown hangouts to enjoy hot food, to recharge their phone batteries – and their emotional batteries – while waiting for power, water and internet access to return to their homes.
Humanitree House smoothie and juice bar, 305 Eighth St., is offering “power, charging stations, food optons, juice, air” and “vibes” for displaced visitors. Solé Augusta, a sushi/tapas restaurant at 1033 Broad St. will be open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. through Oct. 4, with weekend hours to be determined.
Morrison’s mind raced Thursday thinking about his business’ big wooden awning and the walk-in freezers in the back filled with thousands of dollars’ worth of food. “If the power goes down,” he thought, “it’s going to be a huge headache.”