Authored By Chloé Morrison
After nearly 100 people reported illness from dining at River Drifters Bar & Grill, the business’ owners said they are doing everything to correct the problem. “We certainly won’t ever have this repeat again,” co-owner Charlie Eich said. Restaurateurs Charlie and Renee Eich, who owned popular downtown restaurant Cheeburger Cheeburger for 18 years before the building collapsed, said they think the problem could have been contamination of well water. Tests on the well water showed contamination and tests on three persons revealed norovirus and two of those were also positive for E. coli, according to the health department. “I don’t know if we will ever know...where it came from or what made people sick,” Charlie Eich said. But owners are taking precautions to prevent other problems by installing a new well, as well as sanitizing the entire restaurant multiple times. The owners are putting about $15,000 into correcting the problems, Eich said. “Nobody ever wants to ever have anyone become ill, especially in my own family,” he said. “We opened tremendously and had so much business and so many supporters that knew us [from Cheeburger Cheeburger] and a lot of them got ill. It was the worst case scenario.” But many people have shown support for the local company. The majority of people have said they are rooting for them, although there have been critics and trolls too, Eich said. The kitchen has been closed while the team makes changes, but Eich said he hopes to reopen Wednesday. The owners are planning a party or reopening event to show customers their commitment to them. Those details are still in the works. Eich is going on Brian Joyce’s show on 102.3 Monday at 3 p.m. for anyone who wants to hear more.
