"I'm happy that this kind of thing didn't happen during business hours," Trenton Social owner TC Nelson said. "That would have killed somebody."
TRENTON -- A car smashed through the front of Trenton Social restaurant early Sunday causing extensive damage that will keep the business closed at least for several days.
"I'm happy that this kind of thing didn't happen during business hours," Trenton Social owner TC Nelson said. "That would have killed somebody."
The details surrounding the car crash remain unclear. An official at the Pennsylvania State Police barracks in Trevose, roughly 15 miles from Trenton, said that agency was involved in the investigation and additional information would be forthcoming. A Trenton police spokesman did not immediately respond to a phone message.
Nelson said he had just put his head down to rest around 3:30 a.m. Sunday after a busy night when he got a call from a resident who lives next to his bar about the car wreck.
Nelson raced to the scene, where he found a blue Ford sedan more than halfway into the front of his restaurant.
"It's shocking, it's upsetting, it's the full gamut of feelings you would have with something that you built from the ground up and it being harmed," Nelson said in a phone interview with NJ Advance Media on Sunday.
Nelson said when he arrived, firefighters and police, including members of the Pennsylvania State Police, were already on scene.
Nelson said he worked through the early morning hours to clean up the debris from the crash.
The crash took out the front glass, damaged the courtyard ward and some furniture -- but everything is replaceable, Nelson said.
The item he's most upset about losing was a Buddha head that was going to be moved to a new establishment he's in the process of opening on Willow Street near the Statehouse called Trenton Buddha Lounge.
"It's kind of irreplaceable," he said of the Buddha head, "so I'm kind of upset about that."
Nelson said he expects to be back open within a week. The annual Trenton Pork Roll Festival will be held at the Trenton Social on May 28. He said not having things in order by then is not an option.
"Come hell or high water, it's going to get done, we'll be open," Nelson said.
It's been a long night and morning for Nelson, who hasn't gone to sleep yet. When Nelson was speaking on the phone with NJ Advance Media, he was getting ready to shuttle a tent, food and cupcakes over to the house of a family who was supposed to have a birthday party at the Trenton Social on Sunday.
It was a party for a 1-year-old whose four brothers all had their birthday parties at Nelson's restaurant.
"It's a family tradition," he said.
The tradition will go on, Nelson said, but just not at the Social.
"It's kind of like show business," he said, with a chuckle. "The show must go on."
Alex Napoliello may be reached at anapoliello@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @alexnapoNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.