Englewood, south Sarasota County beach businesses welcome season amid hurricane recovery

As the high tourism season starts, businesses from Englewood Beach on Manasota Key north to Casey Key are continuing to recover from the impacts of hurricanes Helene and Milton and Debby.

Beach access, especially on Manasota Key, at Caspersen Beach and the Venice Jetties is still problematic because of parking, but many of the restaurants and businesses have reopened or plan to reopen soon.

“The message that I’m going to tell you is that you need to come to the Key and go to the businesses that are open and buy something or they’re not going to make it,” said Toby Delbridge, owner of both Barefoot Trader and Beach Co. in Englewood Beach and the Old Florida Gallery on Dearborn Street.

“Everything is open in Englewood, the mainland is back to normal, the barrier island is getting there,” added Doug Izzo, executive director of the Englewood Florida Chamber of Commerce.

Prime Englewood Beach dining destinations operated by Manasota Key Group – SandBar Tiki & Grille, Magnolia’s On The Bay and Lock ‘N Key Restaurant – are still working toward a reopening date.

An open letter from Sue and Rocket Atamanchuck, owners of Manasota Key Group, posted on the manasotakeygroup.com web site  reads: “The challenges brought by Hurricanes Milton and Helene have tested us all, but it’s the Englewood community that lifts us up.

“Our comeback is not just possible; it’s inevitable,” it continues, “and we can’t wait to share many more wonderful memories with you.”

On a recent, brisk Saturday afternoon, The Waverly Restaurant & Bar, White Elephant Pub, Beachcomber Trading Post and Calico Jack’s were open and serving a steady stream of customers on Beach Road.

Parking for Englewood Beach remains closed while contractors sift through sand piles to remove the debris. But people staying at Manasota Key Resort and individual rental properties with access to the beach can still use it.

Snowbirds and tourists were also able to get more than a few steps in, walking along Beach Road.

Delbridge said he was able to quickly reopen his Beach Co. surf shop; he decided to expand the clean-up of Barefoot Trader into an interior remodel of that shop, with an eye toward reopening in February.

How open is the Dearborn Street business district?

The Dearborn Street area was hit by storm surge from Milton.

“There was worse flooding at my Dearborn store than there was at Englewood Beach,” Delbridge said, referencing Old Florida Gallery. But since sand was not a factor, he could power wash the building out and reopen more quickly.

“Dearborn was not spared, the recovery is just different,” he added.

Homeowners closer to Lemon Bay were not so fortunate, Delbridge noted. One friend’s house was flooded by two feet of water during Hurricane Helene and then Hurricane Milton brought roughly four feet of storm surge.

“It was a total loss for that whole neighborhood,” Delbridge added.

How is the Hermitage Artist Retreat?

The Hermitage Artist Retreat at 6660 Manasota Key Road, just south of Blind Pass Beach, continues to make progress on clean-up of the historic campus.

In a public email update, Artistic Director and CEO Andy Sandberg noted that the “epic mountains of sand are gone, the buildings have all been remediated, and we are fully back and operational in our Palm House facility.”

He added that the goal is to reopen the historic Hermitage House for artists later in January and bring the other individual living spaces back online in the following weeks, pending government permit approvals.

Hermitage programs are being hosted at a variety of area venues, with more information available at https://hermitageartistretreat.org.

Meanwhile there is no access to beach parking at Blind Pass Beach, also known as Middle Beach.

Sarasota County Spokeswoman Genevive Judge said via email that about 2,400 feet of Manasota Key Road north of Blind Pass was damaged, as well as rip rap in place to protect against erosion.

That leaves Manasota Beach Park, at 8570 Manasota Key Road, as the only public beach in the Englewood area technically open.

Access to Blind Pass Beach, as well as Caspersen Beach south of Venice will depend on when Sarasota County has funding and a plan to rebuild those roads.

That may not be a quick fix. Last year, Sarasota County Public Works Director Spencer Anderson told the Herald-Tribune that it would look at more resilient ways to rebuild both Manasota Key Road and Harbor Drive, which provides vehicle access to Caspersen Beach.

What beaches and businesses in Venice are open?

Virtually all the businesses in Venice – the “shark tooth capital of the world” – are open.

“South Brohard beach and the beaches north of that are readily available to get to, so we’ve been sending our customers there,” said Linda Hervas, one of the owners of Shark Frenzy, a store on the island of Venice that sells a patented shark tooth sifter.

The road to Caspersen Beach, a prime shark tooth sifting spot, remains closed, though Hervas said many customers will park at the beaches in Venice and then walk south.

Stores on the island of Venice are all seeing regular seasonal business.

“There’s definitely a large uptick in downtown in Venice during holidays and it’s only going to get busier in February,” said Kara Morgan, president and CEO of Venice MainStreet. “Everybody is open and hustling right now – this is the time that they do the most amount of business.”

Meanwhile Venice waterfront restaurants, Crow’s Nest Restaurant & Marina on the Intracoastal Waterway and Sharky’s on the Pier and Fins at Sharky’s near the Venice Municipal Fishing Pier are also both open. The pier remains partially open after suffering damage from both hurricane’s Helene and Milton.

Both the North Jetty Fish Camp/Trolley and Jetty Jack’s Refreshment Deck at Humphris Park – popular with people who enjoyed watching boats at the Venice Inlet, as well as sunset aficionados – sadly were damaged beyond repair.

Access to both Venice Jetties likely depends on how the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers approaches its long-term plan to restore both jetties, which were built in 1937, when the channel was dredged between Roberts Bay and the Gulf of Mexico.

What is the beach access in Nokomis?

Pop’s Sunset Grill and Pelican Alley – both located off of Albee Road on the Intracoastal Waterway in Nokomis – have both reopened for business.

Beach access on Casey Key is still limited to Nokomis Beach, 100 S.Casey Key Road, the boat ramp is open as is Shark Tooth Beach Concession at 208 S. Casey Key Road. Storm debris may still be present.

Justin Bloomquist who operates Shark Tooth Beach Concessions, as well as the North Jetty Grille, said that more people are patronizing that stand – many ask about the status of North Jetty Beach reopening.

Judge said by email there is no set timetable to reopen the parking lot at concession at North Jetty Beach for a couple of reasons.

For example, heavy equipment is still being used to sift and move sand and separate debris. That debris then needs to be removed from the park.

Once all that happens, Sarasota County must still repair the parking lot – including spaces for Americans With Disabilities Act access – and reestablish crosswalks.

Once North Jetty Beach is opened by Sarasota County, Bloomquist said they plan to bring live music to the North Jetty Grille and change the hours so people can enjoy the sunset there.

“They could still sit out on the water, watch live music and grab a daiquiri or glass of wine,” Bloomquist said. “It’s still a great place to watch the sunset.”

This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Tourists welcomed as Englewood, south Sarasota businesses bounce back

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