DURHAM, N.C. — One East Durham restaurant owner said he saw a portion of his livelihood go into the trash after a power outage last week.

Mike De Los Santos said his business, Mike D’s BBQ, lost electricity in the middle of lunch hour Jan. 17. As many as 11,000 customers lost power as well after Duke Energy accidentally damaged equipment at a substation.

De Los Santos, 39, estimated his restaurant lost up to $4,000 in revenue. He hopes Duke Energy can pay some of that back, he said. 

“I think the most frustrating aspect of this is just the lack of clear explanation about what happened,” he said.

The electricity provider is encouraging customers to file claims due to the outage. De Los Santos said he filed a claim as soon as he could.

“It will all be worth it if we are able to get those claims, those funds… but if not it will just add to the frustration of the whole process,” he said.

The pitmaster takes great pride in preparing his meats for his patrons.

“I wanna get as much ash out as possible,” he said as he cleaned out his barbecue pit. “Getting the fire going on the wood and hearing the crackle on the first bit of smoke — it’s a very calming experience, so this is the best part of it.”

Trophies, ribbons and banners on display inside his restaurant show judges from all over love his rubs and sauces, too.

“Kinda just felt like validation,” De Los Santos said.

Now, he finds himself in limbo between filing a claim and awaiting denial or approval.

“All of that will be worth it if we are able to get those funds to help cover those losses because they are responsible for those losses and they are the ones who took our business away for a couple of days,” he said.

Duke spokesman Jeff Brooks said he didn't have a specific number of claims filed so far, but there has been a steady flow in recent days.

More information about the claims process can be found on Duke Energy's website.