No Power at Home or at Their Cafe

Vicki and Scott Olsen had no power at their home or at their deli and café on Kent Street late Tuesday afternoon.

Talk about taking it on the chin from Hurricane Irene.

But the Olsens are making the best of it. And “with power or no power Wednesday morning,” said Vicki, “we’re opening for business.”

She was referring to Miz Fibz Deli and Café in the middle of the Hampden Meadows and Sowams neighborhoods. The cafe was among the 11 percent of homes and businesses in Barrington that were still without power early Wednesday evening.

In fact, Vicki is planning a variety of “Hurricane Irene specials” on a menu that will be limited to what they can prepare with their fryolater or their natural gas grill and their own culinary creativity.

“Want fish and chips, we can serve it,” she said while chopping up some vegetables late Wednesday afternoon. “We’ll have a lot more to serve as well.”

Scott said they have been keeping all of their food fresh and frozen by making regular trips to an ice house in East Providence and keeping their freezer closed.

“I just bought another hundred pounds,” he said. “We're on a first name basis now. And I haven’t opened the freezer once. It’s packed as tight as we can make it.”

Scott said that he is really tiring of making trips for ice, though. And he knows their food won’t stay fresh forever.

So, the couple decided Tuesday to open for business no matter what – especially with so many of their neighbors in Hampden Meadows and Sowams probably craving a hot breakfast or lunch.

Maybe they should have said that they want to share the pleasure of living without power since Sunday morning – at home or at their business.

And if the power comes overnight in their neighborhood, so much the better for everyone. Party time!