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From the 2019 flood to the coronavirus pandemic, QC chef finds success after facing adversity

One year after the devastating flood took out Roam. Chef Rhea Vrana is standing on her own two feet.

DAVENPORT, Iowa — By early 2019, Roam was the newest hot spot in downtown Davenport, opening up right along River Drive.

As the Mississippi River rose and the city's HESCO barriers failed, Roam's worst nightmare became a reality. Water came rushing in, filling the restaurant and later closing it for good. 

Chef Rhea Vrana ended up out of a job.

"I've learned the most in a very short amount of time," said Vrana.

RELATED: Spring flooding forces Davenport bar Roam to close after only 10 months, owners say

Oh So Sweet by Tiphanie, a bakery in downtown Davenport, became a temporary home for Vrana. 

"We started doing pop-ups to kinda stay alive and, you know, we wanted to remain in the community," said Vrana.

The chef took the creativity she and her team brought to Roam, into her own space. It didn't take long until she was ready to stand on her own two feet, bringing to life FatSacksQC.

fatsacksqc, Davenport, Iowa. 2.7K likes. Creative Stationary Food Truck Favorites Cooked Up By Three Chef Friends

"We were actually offered this location sometime in July and it just took off from there," she said.

FatSaks reignited her love for some good food and the Davenport community.

"This place is driven by passion so it's very easy to come up with new dishes and guests are always like 'Oh you should use this or have you tried topping this with this' and it's like 'Yes all the time' so it's easy to keep it going," said Vrana.

Now as she faces the COVID-19 pandemic, Rhea knows what it takes to survive.

"I've definitely learned that nothing is permanent so it's how you react to it," Vrana said. "We try to remain positive and we are thankful to be here. Everybody out here is just looking to support especially local during these times."

Due to the virus, FatSacks is only open for carry-out. They are located directly next to Kilkenny's Pub downtown.

RELATED: One year since the flood breach: What Davenport leaders have and haven't learned

RELATED: Watch: First moments after 2019 Davenport flood breach caught on Facebook Live

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