Boathouse Tiki Bar & Grill reopens
For Blaise Adams and David Barden, the reopening of the Boathouse Tiki Bar & Grill meant two things: some long-awaited breakfast favorites and the return of a weekday tradition.
Seated at a table on the deck overlooking the river where the Cape Coral Yacht Club pier previously dominated the waterfront, the two chatted with server Kayla Sallee, just one of the attentive crew who looked as happy as customers heralding the restaurant’s return following months of repairs in the wake of Hurricane Ian.
Adams ordered French toast, “as always.” Barden had the breakfast burrito.
“I just posted to Instagram,” Adams said when asked what he ordered Tuesday morning, the day after the grand reopening this week. “I put, ‘286 days we waited for breakfast.’ We come here every Tuesday.”
“We love it,” Barden said.
Cathy Zellers, a regular who has a family member among the returning staff, was also enjoying some breakfast as well as the unobstructed view offered at seats along the rail.
“It’s gorgeous,” she said of the effort to restore the open-air eatery, once featured on the Travel Channel’s “Food Paradise,” to its pre-storm glory.
She gazed out to where the pier, built by the city’s founders, stood for more than 60 years before storm surge from Hurricane Ian wreaked havoc along the Cape’s Gold Coast, flooding homes and scattering boats from docks and the Yacht Club’s marina slips like so many kiddy tub toys.
“It’s beautiful, but it’s sad to look at that,” Zellers said of the pier pilings and wreckage breaking the surface of the Caloosahatchee. “They did an awesome job fixing this up.”
Monday’s reopening was the best “first day” of which he’s ever been a part, said Boathouse General Manger Jay Collins, who added it took a lot of effort to get there.
Not only were there extensive repairs to be made to the building and restaurant’s sandy bit of beachfront, but a team to rebuild among returning and new staff members as well as some menu tweaks.
Perhaps the greatest challenge, though, may have been the location as the Yacht Club complex, with the exception of the leased restaurant site and some parking, remains closed.
Collins thanked the city for its efforts in helping get the business get back open.
“I’d classify it as a great success,” Collins said of the months-long effort to repair and re-open in the wake of the Sept. 28 Category 5 hurricane. “A few bumps along the way, but we did good.”
He was asked how much the effort cost.
“A lot,” he said. “It’s a big number, a lot of zeros.”
The city is looking at a big number as well, as officials have deemed the rest of the historic complex too costly to repair.
On June 14 the elected board voted 6-1 in favor of a resolution that states “Due to damage caused by Hurricane Ian to existing facilities at the Cape Coral Yacht Club, the City will be demolishing all existing structures and site features onsite.”
Council authorized $263,000 for additional design services for the “deconstructive preservation of the buildings” as well as for replacement design for the fuel tanks that service the marina and boaters that use park facilities.
According to the city website, “deconstructive preservation” means “the city plans to proceed with plans to deconstruct the Yacht Club Ball Room building while saving elements for reuse in the new facilities.”
Demolition is expected to begin in October.
Meanwhile, the still-closed Yacht Club Beach has a planned re-opening date of Aug. 31, pending state and federal permitting. The existing restrooms, two pavilions and the playground will be removed.
The public boat ramp, the marina and all other Yacht Club Community Park amenities will remain closed.
The Boathouse Tiki Bar & Grill is at 5819 Driftwood Parkway.
Visit theboathouseusa.com for hours, menu and more information.