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The biggest winter storm to hit the Chicago area in two years may have proved too much for a northwest suburban banquet hall.
A portion of the roof of Cafe La Cave in Des Plaines caved in just before 1 p.m. Tuesday. Snow poured into one wing of the building as the roof gave way overnight, leaving a gaping hole at the banquet hall's southwest corner.
Des Plaines Fire Department officials said no one was in the building at the time, and no injuries were reported. The building department is scheduled to inspect the structure Wednesday.
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The banquet hall, located not far from O'Hare International Airport, is a family owned business that hosts weddings as well as a big Easter brunch.
Cafe La Cave owner Kim Sutter said the roof collapsed over their Baby Grand Ballroom.
Owenr Gus Sutter said a graduation dinner celebration for Worsham College for 300 people was planned for Wednesday night.
"Thank God there wasn't an event going on," Gus Sutter said. "[The roof] is just a thing. A thing that can be replaced."
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Thank goodness no one was hurt or killed. Wet snow weighs a lot more than most people realize.
Chicago infrastructure crumbling?
In related news, the sky is blue.
Not Cafe La Cave! It was such an awesome place, with wonderful French cusine! I really hope they had insurance and will rebuild soon.
Talk about bringing down the house. All kidding aside, it was extremely fortunate there was not a party going on.
You are correct SallyAnn, we lost the dome last year (or the year before) due to snow.
A roof collapse, this is news. I ll tell you what is news. It was cold here in Florida yesterday, only seventy six degrees. To cold to get into the Gulf, but not to cold to have lunch outside at a beachside restaurant viewing the gulf and the northerners who did get into the Gulf, because they think that it is warm. LOL, now that is newsworthy.
Tragedy for the building owners, but a bonanza for the Icee cup distributor.
Insurance will handle it. What a mess to clean up! For future reference...shovels do wonders.
For future reference chick, you are a 5 star idiot. I suggest that you get on a roof and shovel when there is 2 feet of snow up there. Do you have ANY idea of the weight of snow especially the wet, heavy kind? I have already had a structure cave in and one close to it, so reading posts from nonothing dimwits bothers me a bit.
Might I suggest anger management headhunter22
I don't need anger management. I am simply amazed that there is this overwhelming desire for people to post something on every subject just to post.
Headhunter, we know where your head must be. Don't you get the comment that shoveling off a roof might prevent a collapse? Yes wet snow is heavy. That is why sometimes you need to do some preventive shoveling. Jeez.
Yeah, if the roof is going to collapse from the weight of the snow, adding yours is just the ticket. Ride that puppy on down!
Gus Sutter has a good attitude. Things can be replaced. Lives cannot.
As an aside, I hope he has business interruption insurance coverage, or his business will be in a real cash flow bind until the repairs are completed.
Shoddy design and construction. The architect/builders should be sued.
I had a friend who worked in EMS during the big Chicago snow storms in the late 70's. He said it was the oldest buildings and the newest buildings that were collapsing.
The snow storm that cause this just hit yesterday afternoon and contiuned through the night which is when the article says that originally the roof gave way. Snow shovels.... Wow. Who really thinks that people are shoveling their roofs during the middle of the night, in a snow storm, every time we have a heavy snowfall in the midwest?
Hey Brainiac! You shovel the roof BEFORE the load gets critical. Maroon.
Hilarious.
Sorry don, but that's not as simple a chore as you make it out to be.I live in one of worst snow areas in the country (does 62 inches in less that 3 days give you a hint?). The snow fell too fast to keep up with and down came my garage and half of a friend's restaurant. It's rare to see people up on the roof because of the danger especially with wet snow. And adding to the weight already there is folly. Also, you make it sound like everyone is able to do something like that : "hey, just go up on your roof-so what if it's peaked."
I sympathize with the hall's owner, because snow is not that predictable. I would hope they can rebuild quickly and add some extra reinforcement to the roof this time. People who tell others to get out and shovel the roof before the load gets critical apparently don't have much experience doing that themselves.
If an evaluation call coming in for snow or rain or hail storm, please do not check in any structure like this one, a big hall; instead using a school-classroom building.
Thank God for the timing that has saved many people.
The North Koreans are apparently right about some things!