The owner of a Tiverton seafood restaurant is picking up the pieces after a car slammed into the outdoor dining room over the weekend.

 

Michael Napolitano, owner of Macray’s Seafood, told 12 News he was having lunch with a friend Sunday when he heard the crash.

 

“There was a big bang,” Napolitano recalled. “I thought it was an earthquake, because it was only for a quick second, I didn’t know what was going on.”

 

It wasn’t until he looked up and saw the car that he realized what had happened.

 

“I ran over, saw the driver and just made sure everyone was alright,” he continued.

 

Thankfully, Napolitano said no one was injured. But the restaurant’s Tiki bar and tented outdoor dining room were significantly damaged upon impact.

 

Napolitano initially only closed the restaurant’s dining room and remained open for take-out orders, but he eventually had to make the difficult decision to shut everything down.

 

He said Macray’s Seafood is a seasonal restaurant that stays open as long as the weather allows.

 

But now, the damage is so extensive he is unsure when the restaurant will be able to open its doors again.

 

“We’ve got to wait and see,” he said. “This is all new to me, so I’m still trying to figure it out. But as of right now, I don’t have a clue. I’m just trying to get everything in order.”

 

Napolitano does not plan on pressing charges against the the young driver of the car, especially since it was a total accident.

 

Right now, Napolitano said he’s getting his affairs in order and working with his insurance to assess the damage.

 

In order to open back up, Napolitano said he will have to replace the outdoor tent, which could prove to be tricky.

 

“Without that tent, I don’t know what we will do,” he said. “We want to stay open. I’ve got staff that want to keep working but, without that tent it is going to be tough. It’s not worth being open for just takeout.”

 

See more at wpri.com.