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Sarasota businesses are open for business after hurricanes
FOX 13's Kim Kuizon reports on restaurants in the Siesta Key area of Sarasota County wanting customers to know they are open for business after Hurricanes Helene and Milton.
SIESTA KEY, Fla. - On Siesta Key, the sun is shining, and Village Café is getting ready to welcome a new year.
"We are happy to say that we’ve been literally continuously running for 30 years. If we didn’t like it, we still wouldn’t be here. We’ve always loved Siesta Key," said owners Kay and Tom Kouvatsos.
Open for business sign in Sarasota County.
2024 brought Hurricanes Helene and Milton; business was paused for a short time for the Kouvatsos family.
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"We had 3 ½ ft (of water) in here. It took us seven weeks to reopen," said Kay.
After reopening, they’ve noticed a lag in customers.
"It’s still Siesta, the beach is beautiful. There’s still a lot of things to do," said Tom.
Kay agreed.
Inside the Village Café in Siesta Key.
"Siesta is Siesta. It’s quaint. It’s everything it was. You just can’t expect it to look like what it was last year or the year before. It’s not pretty yet. But it’s getting there. The businesses want you, we need you," Kay said.
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They’re not alone; a short walk to the Lobster Pot paints a similar picture.
"It’s definitely about half, to be honest. Almost half the difference, I think people are scared to come to Siesta because they think nothing is here, or no businesses are open, but that’s not the case," said general manager Tony Medeiros.
Business owners and employees have worked tirelessly to reopen.
"What happened through two storms, we’ve done an awesome job as a community and businesses to get it done and rebuild, and we are ready," said Medeiros.
So are the businesses that reopened on St. Armand’s Circle.
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"It’s been slow. The weekends pick up. Monday through Friday is slow," said Blue Dolphin Café manager Jaajziel Moreno.
Blue Dolphin Cafe on St. Armand’s Circle.
The Blue Dolphin Cafe has been open for 25 years. Despite flooding, they opened their doors less than two months after Hurricane Helene.
"It’s hard because we all depend on each other. We don’t bring in everyone here. Blue Dolphin doesn’t bring in all the customers," said Moreno. "Other local shops bring people out here, and we get foot traffic. We all help each other in some way, so we rely on them as much as they rely on us."
While many businesses remain closed here on St. Armand’s Circle, many are working to reopen, like the Green Zebra Café, which should be open early next week, just in time for the new year.
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"We are having the same menu. We changed a little bit, we have more seating, we are extending the menu a little bit," said owner Elena Ianakiev.
When they reopen, The Green Zebra Café hopes they’re met with support from visitors and the locals who call Sarasota home.
"We survived because we really want to make it happen again, but it was really hard because it was devastating," said Ianakiev.
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