TREASURE ISLAND, Fla. — On a sunny, picture-perfect day along the Gulf, Caddy’s Treasure Island looked much like it always has: packed with customers, drinks flowing and beachgoers soaking it all in.
But, roughly a year and a half ago, the scene was very different.
WATCH: Nearly wiped out by Helene, Caddy’s Treasure Island is back open on Sunset Beach
Storm surge from Hurricane Helene in Sept. 2024 buried the Sunset Beach restaurant in sand and debris. Then, days later, Hurricane Milton added insult to injury by damaging the restaurant’s roof.
“It was like a warzone. It really was,” said owner Marcus Winters.
Inside, debris piled several feet high. The damage was so severe that the building had to be gutted, lifted and rebuilt to meet current codes. It was a struggle, and there were times Winters thought about abandoning the extensive rebuild.
However, he didn’t give up, and after about 18 months of work, the restaurant officially reopened Thursday with a ribbon cutting ceremony.
“It’s really a privilege to be back and have everybody working,” Winters said. “Caddy’s has touched a lot of people over a lot of years, and everyone is delighted that we’re back.”
Now, about 135 employees are back on the job, and customers are returning to a longtime dining destination in Treasure Island.
“I figured it would be gone,” said customer Becky Williams of Tampa. “I have a friend that has two condos over here…and he lost two.”
For many, the reopening is more than just a comeback. It’s a sign of recovery for the barrier islands.
“You know, tourism feeds our state, so we needed it to come back,” said another customer, Pam Steele of Bradenton.
Winters said the rebuild would never have worked if not for the help of Treasure Island leaders who, in early 2025, passed a measure which allowed restaurants like Caddy’s to temporarily set up tents, food trucks and porta-potties outside their damaged establishments.
“Without it, we wouldn’t have survived,” Winters said.
The new Caddy’s Treasure Island is currently in a soft opening phase, with a full menu and additional celebrations expected in the coming weeks.
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