CHEF ROBERT BARRAL of Café Provence early this week is happy to be leaving UVM Medical Center, where he was treated for wounds suffered in a stabbing at his Brandon restaurant.

This story has been updated since it was first published on April 7.

BRANDON — Chef Robert Barral, who founded and runs Café Provence in Brandon, is back home from the hospital after being attacked by a man with a knife in the popular restaurant on Saturday.

After being closed for several days, the 11 Center St. bistro was due to reopen on Wednesday.

“Chef is recovering at home and eager to heal and get back to doing what he loves!” said a Monday post on the Café Provence Facebook page.

The restaurant posted a Facebook photo of Barral smiling as he left UVM Medical Center. The post drew more than 200 responses from well-wishers. A typical one looked like this post from Barbara Ebling: “Photo of the year! This just made a whole town (and legions of fans beyond) breathe a huge sigh of relief! Welcome home, Chef!”

It is easy to see why so many people were worried about Barral.

Six or seven cruisers from Vermont State Police and Brandon Police rushed to Café Provence at around 4:30 p.m. this past Saturday, April 5. Police say that a former employee, Jozef I. Eller, 32, of Hancock, came to the restaurant and stabbed his former boss. The business had previously got a court order to keep Eller off the premises.

Barral, 71, suffered wounds to his head, left shoulder, left arm, left hand and his right finger, according to VTDigger.org. He was taken by ambulance to Rutland Regional Medical Center for wounds that were initially believed to be non-life-threatening. Then he was taken to UVM Medical Center.

Troopers did not give a motive for the attack. They simply report that following the assault, Eller fled the scene driving north on Route 7 in a white, 2017 Ford F-150 pickup truck. Authorities put out a call for the public’s help in locating him. They released photos that they said were of Eller stabbing Barral.

Eller was jailed without bail and was arraigned Monday in Rutland Superior Court, criminal division, on charges of attempted second-degree murder and violating a no-trespassing order. VTDigger reported that Eller pleaded not guilty.