NEENAH (NBC 26) — After months of reduced traffic and lost customers, restaurant owners along South Commercial Street in Neenah are breathing a sigh of relief as the major construction project wraps up.
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"It's huge for us to finally be done with it," said David Earle, owner of Cranky Pat's Pizza.
Earle has owned the restaurant for decades, since his father helped start it in 1955. He said business has been slow all summer long due to the construction.
"It was not a great summer," Earle said.
South Commercial Street, one of the busiest streets in Neenah, has been under construction since March, allowing cars to drive in only one direction.
The impact on local businesses was significant. David Pyszora, owner of Pappa's Cafe and Pub, estimated that the construction cost cost his business about a third of its customers.
"A lot of customers are older and don't want to drive on construction roads, and I don't blame them," Pyszora said.
Over the summer, Pyszora said employees made less on tips, and he had to schedule them to work fewer hours.
"There were certain days people couldn't get in our driveway," Pyszora said.
But now, as Commercial Street fully reopens, business is looking up.
"It's starting to get better, and hopefully it won't take too long to get back to normal," Pyszora said.
Neenah Mayor Jane Lang says it might be the largest construction project in Neenah's history. The city now hopes to develop the area further.
The project's completion brings hope to family businesses like Cranky Pat's Pizza, where the next generation is already involved. Earle noted his son is working at the restaurant, continuing the family tradition that began nearly 70 years ago.
