JACKSONVILLE, N.C. -- It's been a happy homecoming for many Jacksonville residents returning to their favorite restaurant, The Kettle Diner, this new year.

• The community staple of 18 years shut down after Hurricane Florence ripped apart its roof and damaged everything inside.
• Very loyal customers waited patiently for three and half months until New Year’s Eve when they finally reopened.
• Almost all 23 servers came back to work, as well as 12 kitchen staff.

The community staple of 18 years shut down after Hurricane Florence ripped apart its roof and damaged everything inside.

But very loyal customers waited patiently for three and half months until New Year’s Eve when they finally reopened.

“We've been waiting for them to open back up, it’s been a long haul, I’m just so glad they got reopened. And I know they had a lot of work to do and all their wait staff stuck with them,” said Dee Kuzina, just one of the many customers packing the diner off of Marine Boulevard.

The restaurant also has very loyal staff; almost all 23 servers came back to work, as well as 12 kitchen staff.

“I'm just glad to be back, god has blessed us, a lot of hugs, a lot tears a lot of everything,” says Lily Cantrell, one of the head servers at the restaurant, who has been working the The Kettle Diner for 15 years.