Since the 1960s, Three Brothers Bakery has graced this corner of South Braeswood.
As sweet as the goods are here, the owners, the Juckers, call themselves the “King and Queen of Disaster.” This is their fourth flood.
“Allison, and then Memorial Day ’15, Tax Day ’16, Harvey ’17, and then we’ve also been hit by a hurricane in 2008 (Ike),” Janice Jucker said.
That experience has allowed them to re open in “just” 17 days.
“Before the rain, I called the restoration company we used previously, and we’re No. 1 on the list,” Jucker said.
The bakery is back open but not back to normal. This location bakes the goods for all the bakery's storefronts, so repairs are especially costly.
The Juckers are asking for a second, low-interest SBA disaster loan direct from the government, allowing those who flooded multiple times to move.
The most you pay for flood insurance is $10,000 a year, and then they pay us a million,” Jucker said. “It's basically a grant. Wouldn't it better for the government to loan us $2 million and then get paid back $2 million, plus get interest on that money?” Jucker said.
The Juckers tried but can’t get a regular bank loan for a move because future floods could mean lost revenue. They are asking senators for flood loan legislation.
As upset as they are, the Juckers say two of their employees’ homes flooded, and that keeps things in perspective.