- Just months after being forced to close due to flooding in April, Backwoods Crossing will be featured on national television on Guy Fieri's Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.
- The episode will air on Friday and watch parties will be held at Backwoods Crossing and Trident Restaurant in Panacea.
- Watch now to hear how a restaurant manager describes 2024 for Backwoods Crossing.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
From the lows of flash flood recovery to the highs of national TV exposure.
"Anything is possible. From the flood to Fieri."
I'm Alberto Camargo in the Northeast Tallahassee neighborhood.
I'm standing in front of Backwoods Crossing, a beloved local restaurant that shared a special update to cap off a notable year.
We told you that the restaurant was forced to close for weeks in April due to flash floods.
And how the community pitched in over $15,000 for recovery.
"A community that's standing behind us and willing to help any way they can and keep us standing. It means the world to us."
I spoke with bar manager Emma Stedman Monday about that road to recovery.
"A lot of unexpected work came in the process of letting people know that we weren't permanently closed. Getting word back out to the community letting them know, yes we're a little wet but we are fully open."
And soon, the guests could be coming from around the country, not just the community.
Chef Jesse Rice announced on social media Monday that Backwoods Crossing will be featured on Guy Fieri's "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives" TV show this week.
Restaurant staff can't share any details about the episode yet, but I asked Stedman about her reaction to the news.
"It made us wonder are we a diner, a drive-in, or a dive, some reflection there. But overall just gratitude. We're happy that enough people put our name out there so that we would be able to be selected for national television."
Stedman says the episode was filmed in November, just months after the restaurant's future was up in the air.
"2024, what could have been the worst year for us, ended up working out really, really well."
The episode will air on Friday night, with a watch party here at Backwoods Crossing and at Trident Restaurant in Panacea.
In Northeast Tallahassee, Alberto Camargo, ABC27.
