Qdoba Reopens Month After Flood, Starbucks Still Closed

Qdoba on M Street reopened Friday, after closing nearly four weeks ago when a fire hydrant burst on the street and flooded the restaurant. The Starbucks next door, however, remains closed. As promised, Qdoba slashed its prices in half on Friday for their reopening day.

Anthony Hakan, director of training for Qdoba, said that he is “happy to be back and ready for things to go back to normal.” Hungry customers filtered in to christen the half-off tradition and the official reopening of the fast food restaurant this past Monday.

On Sept. 7, Qdoba, Starbucks and the apartments above them were shut down after a hydrant burst on 33rd and M Streets, filling the first floor of the coffee shop with several feet of water. Water crumbled the foundation of the building and windows had to be broken to drain the water out of the first floor. Several students who lived above the Starbucks were evicted from their apartments, but all have now moved back in.

Harshal Patel (SFS ’09), one of the affected students, said he was allowed to move back into his apartment yesterday.

Starbucks, which suffered substantially more damage, is expected to reopen in January, at the earliest, according to employees at the other Starbucks on M Street.

The line at Qdoba stretched out the door yesterday evening, as students took advantage of the weekly half-price burrito special.

“It’s about time,” said Kelly Scavone (COL ’10). “Mondays can now go back to being my favorite day of the week.”