Two years after Hurricane Helene ripped through small mountain towns in western North C...

facebook.com | Sep 29, 2026 1:40 AM

Two years after Hurricane Helene ripped through small mountain towns in western North Carolina, the town of Marshall is still rebuilding, and one restaurant is lighting the path forward.

Brian Sonoskus and his wife Kate closed Star Diner down the block after floodwaters covered everything but the roof, deciding the building was not worth redoing. Instead, they fixed up the space formerly known as Main Street Cafe and opened Star Taco in November of 2025. The only things left from the original building were the tile floor and a tin ceiling that had to be patched up and repainted. Floodwaters had washed right through the windows, filled the place up and left behind mud, debris and fish.

Sonoskus says the flow of customers day to day is great, and the restaurant is planning more events to draw visitors during peak season in October and November. "The same Marshall spirit is still here," he said. "It's just gaining up speed to get back to where it was."

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Source note: Star News TV · Sep 29, 2026 1:40 AM.

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Star News TV

Two years after Hurricane Helene ripped through small mountain towns in western North Carolina, the town of Marshall is still rebuilding, and one restaurant is lighting the path forward. Brian Sonoskus and his wife Kate closed Star Diner down the block after floodwaters covered everything but the roof, deciding the building was not worth redoing. Instead, they fixed up the space formerly known as Main Street Cafe and opened Star Taco in November of 2025. The only things left from the original building were the tile floor and a tin ceiling that had to be patched up and repainted. Floodwaters had washed right through the windows, filled the place up and left behind mud, debris and fish. Sonoskus says the flow of customers day to day is great, and the restaurant is planning more events to draw visitors during peak season in October and November. "The same Marshall spirit is still here," he said. "It's just gaining up speed to get back to where it was."

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