Businesses in downtown Fort Myers start reopening after Hurricane Ian storm surge flooding
Businesses in downtown Fort Myers cleaned out their storefronts and reopened Friday after Hurricane Ian flooded the area with several feet of storm surge.
Mason’s Famous Rolls on First Street had the front window open for customers to put in to-go orders or eat at a nearby table.
Adam Miner, the regional manager, said he’s been working 15-hour days with the owner to clean out the restaurant that’s a little slice of home for New Englanders looking for a lobster roll.
“It’s good to get back and be open,” he said.
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He said there was about 18 inches of water in the restaurant. Thousands of dollars of spoiled seafood and other food was thrown away. The floors had to be pulled up, portions of the wall had to be ripped away and paper products stored in a back room were soaked and had to be tossed out.
As crews cleaned up and sanitized, he said people would walk by and wish them luck or say they couldn’t wait for them to open.
The restaurant was able to open Thursday night and will continue to offer to-go orders until the inside can be remodeled.
“Yesterday after we opened my stress levels went down 98%,” he said.
Miner said sheet rock and plywood are hard to come by though and he doesn’t know how long it will take to find the materials.
“It’s a long and hard process,” he said, “but in the end, it’ll be worth it.”
The nearby Luminary Hotel & Co. in downtown Fort Myers reopened its dining outlets on Friday with limited menus and hours, except The Silver King Ocean Brasserie.
“Our hearts go out to the entire Fort Myers, Naples and Southwest Florida communities impacted by Hurricane Ian and we remain supportive in the recovery efforts,” Joe Collier, president and founder of Mainsail Lodging & Development, said in a statement. “We’re extremely grateful for our team’s hard work in getting back up and running so quickly.”
Hotel rooms are occupied by emergency personnel. The Luminary also is assessing the Caloosa Sound Amphitheater and is pausing ticket sales for the remaining shows in the Rockin’ on the River free concert series.
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But First Street Restaurant and Bar was in a different situation Friday afternoon.
It only took on four inches of water, said General Manager Trish Pawluczyk. Most of the water that rushed in seeped out the back door.
The eatery was able to open the next day and kept operating for five days. But after an inspector found water in the walls, it had to shut back down.
Staff started moving out furniture and kitchen equipment Thursday morning and was working to air out the walls. There’s no timeline to complete the repairs and reopen though, Pawluczyk said.
“I’m heartbroken,” she said choking up. “I’ve never had to deal with this.”
“The whole staff, I don’t know what to tell them about when we’ll reopen,” she added.
But it will open back up, Pawluczyk said. And she hopes the community will be there for them the same way the restaurant was there for customers right after the storm.
Contact Ashley White at adwhite@theadvertiser.com or on Twitter @AshleyyDi.
This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Downtown Fort Myers businesses reopening after Hurricane Ian flooding
