Some Tulsa Businesses Damaged By The Tornado Have Reopened

Tulsa businesses along 41st Street are reopening after Sunday's tornado forced them to close their doors.

Customers are slowly starting to return to the area as businesses between Yale and Sheridan are getting back to work.  Reasors and Chick Fil-A were packed with customers but most businesses in the Southroads Village Shopping Center are still closed.

The AMC Theatre is back open and down the street, most shops in the Highland Plaza Shopping Center reopened Wednesday.

That's the same area where the AT&T store was located.  It is now condemned after heavy storm damage.

Ricardo's restaurant is in the middle of the strip mall that took the brunt of the force from the EF-2 tornado, but the owner, Thomas Hunter, said they didn't have any damage to their building, despite having to close for three days.

"Some of those restaurants won't open for a few weeks, and some may never open back up," Hunter said.

Hunter said he was going to the restaurant to check on food and other items while they were closed. He said his employees were calling him wanting to know when they could get back to work.

"They're all anxious to get back and they're wanting extra hours and 'I'll do anything you want me to do' type deal," said Hunter.

He said it's never easy for businesses to close that long.

"When they're not making money, I mean, it's hard for me to see that," Hunter said.

News On 6 emailed several restaurants, including Starbucks and Chipotle and they all say they're working to reopen and will help employees get shifts at other locations.