Fnu Hendri said he and his wife Fifi weren't expecting the mayor of North Little Rock to visit when they reopened their restaurant, Keihiro Hibachi and Sushi.
But he was proud to have North Little Rock Mayor Terry Hartwick and City Council member Steve Baxter at the restaurant to congratulate the family and present Hendri with a declaration as Keihiro Hibachi and Sushi Steak House Day on June 1. Angelica Barnard, president of the Amboy Neighborhood Association, also gave Hendri a certificate of recognition.
The Hendris were the first to reopen their family business in the Amboy area of North Little Rock after a March 31 tornado left parts of the city structurally damaged.
"So many people come in here asking 'when are you guys going to open back?' and we say 'I don't know,'" he said. "April and May, we were totally closed. But I'm glad because we were safe in here. At the time [of the tornado] we couldn't go anywhere, me, my wife and my daughter -- my daughter got a panic attack and [was] shaking."
Throughout Pulaski County, several businesses affected by the tornado remain boarded up nearly four months after the storm, as ownership and leases work with banks, insurers and the Federal Emergency Management Agency to come up with money for repairs.
The tornado, rated EF3 with 165 mph peak winds, tracked just over 34 miles from west Little Rock through North Little Rock, Sherwood and Jacksonville -- all in Pulaski County -- before finally weakening on the southeast side of Cabot in Lonoke County, according to the National Weather Service. There were at least 2,700 structures affected. One person died.
Later, four other people were killed when a tornado hit Wynne, causing severe damage in that rural Northeast Arkansas city.
Recovery, as is typical in such weather disasters, has been slow and difficult.
On March 31, Fnu Hendri recalled seeing dark clouds, hearing the tornado siren and feeling the tornado pass by.
"We didn't have any electricity here for like three weeks, but we had water and gas," he said. "It damaged the roof and the back of the building benches and siding too. It was really bad because debris was coming from the next building, Dog Town Pizza."
Three large windows were blown out in the restaurant.
The correct replacement sizes were hard to find as other businesses were ordering similar sizes and stock was low.
"We had to wait like a month to get it installed," he said. "With a situation like that, everybody is busy. We had to put up a new sign, LED lights -- everything. It really takes time ... The fan hood, the storm hit it."
A contractor was booked at other sites after the tornado, he explained, so it took a while for him to assess the damage.
Thankfully, the landlord of the building didn't charge the family rent for the two months the restaurant was closed. Insurance covered the property and employees' salaries, he added.
With only four employees, Fnu Hendri does the bulk of sushi making, while his wife makes boba tea and runs the cash register. His other chefs make Hibachi-style entrees and traditional Japanese appetizers.
"I like making sushi, it's my patience, it's been nine years," he said. "Sushi is so many ingredients, so many stuff you have to do to prepare everything."
Fifi Hendri said she was thankful for their neighbors in Amboy who brought over food when they didn't have electricity.
"For me, when I open, I can talk a lot with a lot of people," she said. "Before, I was working, I was just taking care of my daughter and I was lonely and stressed. But I'm happy when I'm working."
Now, Fifi Hendri brings her daughter to work, Fnu Hendri's brother brings his son and they play together while the adults work.
And what about the Amboy Neighborhood Association certificate and the Mayor's declaration? They are now proudly displayed inside the restaurant.