The boards that covered the front door and windows at Aqua Vita Natural Foods for months are gone.
The north-side store's shelves are slowly filling with whole-grain cereals and other healthful standbys. A sign on a front window proclaims: "Gluten free, dairy free, wheat free and vegan products are sold here." Organic produce should be back on the shelves by tonight.
On Wednesday, Aqua Vita, which promotes the idea of "vibrant food; vibrant life," will reopen, three months and 11 days after a fire forced it to close.
The fire, which hit just before 5 a.m. April 30, was accidental and started in the electrical-services area in the store's rear, outside the building, a Tucson Fire Department investigator's report says. The blaze, extinguished without difficulty, probably was caused by an electrical malfunction that occurred in the middle of three large electric-service panels, the report says.
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The Star talked with Aqua Vita owner Harmeet Singh about the store's fire, closure and reopening:
Q. How much damage did the fire do?
A. About $400,000. The electrical system was gone, and the walk-in cooler was gone.
Q. How did you learn about the fire?
A. The Fire Department called me at 6 a.m. and woke me up and said, "Your store is on fire." I was very surprised. The electrical system was more than five years old. Usually, this kind of electrical work goes for 30 to 40 years with no problem. We couldn't figure out why this happened.
Q. Did it take longer to get ready to reopen than you expected?
A. Oh yeah, way longer. I expected it would be fixed in two to 2 1/2 weeks. With the insurance and the city of Tucson permitting, it took a lot longer.
Q. Was that frustrating?
A. Big time. But I didn't have to deal with the permitting and the other stuff. The electrical contractor dealt with it. They worked with TEP (Tucson Electric Power Co.) to get the electrical equipment fixed.
Q. Did your insurance cover it all?
A. It partially covered the damage, but I still had to pay money out of my own pocket.
Q. Did you make any other changes?
A. We upgraded everything to 2010 city codes. . . . We installed energy-saving equipment - all the computers, water machines and a new water system. We had to replace the whole inventory in the store. We didn't want to be selling three-month-old stuff to customers.
Q. Have you been profitable until now, and will you be profitable this year after the fire?
A. Before the fire, the business was going up every single year for the past three years, despite the recession. We have a good staff here. We provide better service to every single customer. People like shopping here. The fire will definitely hurt our profits, for sure, but we're still hoping for a profit this year.
AT A GLANCE
Aqua Vita Natural Foods:
• 2801 N. Country Club Road.
• Opened in 1980 at 3225 N. Los Altos Ave. Moved to the current site in 2002.
• Owner Harmeet Singh, 28, bought the business in 2007 from Richard Anderson, who lives in Oregon.
• Staff: Nine employees, the same as before the fire.
• Hours: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays; 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sundays.
Contact reporter Tony Davis at tdavis@azstarnet.com or 806-7746.