Gene & Jude’s owner vows to reopen River Grove restaurant
BY DAVID POLLARD | dpollard@pioneerlocal.com April 24, 2013 8:22PM
At the intersection of Grand and River Road in River Grove, workers started the long process of cleaning up Gene & Jude's Hot Dogs from the receding flood waters. | Al Podgorski~Chicago Sun-Times
Updated: April 30, 2013 1:18PM
RIVER GROVE — The owner of a popular hot-dog place inundated by recent flooding has vowed to reopen.
Joe Mormino, 59, owner of the legendary Gene & Jude’s restaurant on River Road, said despite the flooding damage to his long-time business, he is already working to reopen its doors.
“Everything has been gutted out,” he said. “We’re sanitizing everything. We are just going to redo it and put it all back together.”
Heavy rains starting on April 18 sent the Des Plaines River over its banks and caused flooding problems in many west-suburban areas.
That included some flooded homes and businesses at Grand Avenue and River Road, near Gene & Jude’s.
Mormino and other workers have been in the restaurant, at 2720 River Road, since Tuesday, working to get the place cleaned up.
The restaurant, specializing in hot dogs, has been in business since 1946. Mormino has worked there since he was a child. He took the business over from his father.
Mormino said they are going to work day and night to get things up and running again. He said the business has survived flooding in the past and this is no different.
He is not discouraged.
“It’s a cleansing,” he said of the floods. “God is cleansing the Earth.”
