COURTLAND—The Dairy Queen on Highway 58, Courtland, which had more than $300,000 in damage from Hurricane Irene, has reopened.

Mitch Sandlin, chief executive officer of Mid-Atlantic Dairy Queen, said the restaurant has the latest updated DQ Grill and Chill look on the inside, including all new seating, decor and counters, ceiling and wall coverings. More than $200,000 in improvements were made, including landscaping.

The damage from Irene’s 12 inches of rain and wind gusts of up to 59 mph on Aug. 27 caused the Dairy Queen’s roof drains to clog. Two exhaust fan covers also blew off.

The water built up on the roof and got into the restaurant through the air-conditioning ducts and other ducts. Four inches of water covered the floor, and when workers cut a hole in the wall, water poured out.

The Dairy Queen was not open for business on the day of the hurricane, when power was also lost. All of the food in the walk-in cooler was lost.

Insurance covered the loss, while the restaurant’s 30 part- and full-time employees remained on payroll during construction.

“All of the people employed at the time of the damage are back at work,” Sandlin said.

Based in Franklin, Mid-Atlantic is in charge of 13 Dairy Queens in Hampton Roads, including the one in Franklin on Armory Drive.

The Dairy Queen in Courtland is open from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily.