LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — March 31 is a day many people in Central Arkansas won't soon forget.
Whether they're emotional or physical, the scars of the tornado aren't easy to miss— especially at the Breckenridge Village shopping center.
Loony Bin Comedy Club co-owner Wayne Iburg, Jr., explained that cleanup will take awhile— and the irony of their current situation isn't lost on him.
"My favorite part was the fact that the paperwork for us to finally, the staff, to finally purchase the Loony Bin came through 30 minutes before the tornado hit," he said, laughing. "That's my favorite part!"
The setup to that joke wasn't much better than the unfortunate punchline, as Iburg was inside the club when the storm hit.
After it passed, he checked on employees and joined the seemingly endless response of volunteers that were checking on others.
His next thought was what was next for the center. Plans have been in the works to renovate Breckenridge Village for years— and he isn't alone.
"We're just gonna make lemonade out of lemons," Jim Keet, co-owner of Breckenridge Village, said over the phone. "We're just going to take this as a part of the challenge of renovating the center."
Renovations are a little harder with a tornado-damaged building, but Keet said they're still working as scheduled, with the center still slated to finish renovations in the early months of 2024.
"We know there will be a bit of a slowdown, but our overall game plan is pretty much intact to get all of the other restaurants and the other businesses that are going to be coming into the center open pretty much on schedule," Keet added.
It'll still be a while until that happens, and in the meantime, all Iburg can do is laugh.
"We can rebuild, we can do those things," he said. "I am never worried about those things."
After all, they've been in this spot for decades, and the tornado isn't going to stop them from joining the next phase of Breckenridge Village.
"Even though it's under new ownership now, I don't foresee us ever wanting to leave," Iburg said. "We have our little light on the side of the corner where we belong."
While their comedy club is renovated, Iburg explained that shows will still happen at South on Main in Little Rock. You can click here for more information.