Local Carrabba's Continues Rebound, Proprietor Says

There was a time not long ago when the future of the restaurant along Street Road appeared in jeopardy.

Last June, the eatery was closed for a day for serious health code violations, and business plummeted 60 percent, according to the new proprietor. As late as December, the figures were still down almost 30 percent.

Today, Drew Hacker, who was brought in after the closure, says the local chain restaurant is on the right track.

“Things are a lot better,” he said Thursday. “People are slowly getting over the fact that it was closed and realize things are nice and clean now.”

Hacker acknowledges that receipts are still down 15 to 20 percent when compared to the months before the closure. But he says there's no way the 6,200-square foot facility will close because, even though not fully recovered, it is near the top of the company's sales list.

“The place is not going anywhere,” he said. “We're in the top 15 to 20 percent in the company.”

The restaurant – which opened 14 years ago at Street Road and Tillman Drive and employs about 95 people – was closed June 21 for violations that included roaches, dead mice, mouse droppings and mold.

The Bucks County Health Department gave the restaurant good marks last August and November. The department's Darren Bauer acknowledged this week that no inspection has been done since – because of a new state law which has greatly increased the department's responsibilities. But he said the department will be returning.

Hacker previously told Patch that immediate action was taken after the closure including the replacement of the three-person management staff and a $250,000 kitchen makeover that took more than a month. That work, he said, included new floors, ceilings, walls and cooking equipment.

One way Carrabba's got the word out on those improvements was by offering about 20,000 $10 coupons through e-mail and direct mail with Hacker's name attached to the accompanying message.

Today, he said, it's mostly just about maintaining course.

“It's about running the business as we should,” he said.

He says Saturdays, Sunday and Fridays, in that order, bring out the biggest crowds to the restaurant which seats 250-260 people. Customers are now waiting as long as 70 minutes on Saturdays and 30 minutes on Fridays, he said.

Hacker credits the rebound to the local community.

“We have a very tight group of regular customers who have appreciated the effort we've put into this place and they're spreading the word every day,” he said.

“Word of mouth is the most important thing especially in a tight-knit community like Bensalem,” he aded.