Months after Helene, popular Treasure Island bar and restaurant to reopen with a bang
The Brief
Treasure Island's popular bar and restaurant, Ricky T's, is hosting a re-opening block party on Friday night.
The restaurant has been closed since Hurricane Helene flooded it with a nearly nine-foot storm surge, destroying its interior.
The restaurant's owner said that the re-opening is a monumental accomplishment and credits the hard work of his staff for allowing it.
TREASURE ISLAND, Fla. - Workers bolted on Ricky T's sign on Wednesday – a sure sign of things to come on Treasure Island.
"We have food trucks coming here," Ricky T's owner, Brad Piche, said. "We have bands, and we have one hell of a party planned."
The backstory
After five months of rebuilding the popular bar and restaurant from Hurricane Helene's damage, Piche said they're re-opening Friday with a block party.
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"It's pretty extensive," Piche said about the damage. "When you get a tidal surge of nine feet, we're standing five feet above sea level, so nine feet is four feet up the walls. It brings in the beach sand. It brings in the dirty water flood."
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Piche said, "Primarily, everything from five feet and down was destroyed."
Piche said they're building back stronger, installing concrete bars and floodgates, and waterproofing the inside.
What they're saying
As crews continue to work on the building itself, Ricky T's' staff is getting ready for customers.
"We're trying to rally the troops for sure. This is the first staff meeting that we've had in quite some time," Piche said Wednesday about the employee meeting.
"It's more than a business. It's a home, for sure. This is a family business. So, it's not a typical corporate-run place. This is very family-oriented," Piche said. "The people that have been working here, a lot of them, have been here a long time. A lot of our customers and people have been here a long time. So, the relations go a lot deeper."
Piche said the work on the inside is a little behind schedule, but they'll announce the re-opening date for the inside of the restaurant at the party on Friday night.
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"It's a big step. It's another chapter moving forward. Everybody's been sort of misplaced for the last four-plus months," Piche said. "Everybody's been trying to find work, find a place to live, get their vehicle situations straightened out. It has been a challenge for everybody."
"It's a big deal for all of us," Piche said about Friday's party. "I think we're excited. The community is excited, and we're expecting it to be a huge success," Piche said.
What's next
The party starts at 4 p.m. on Friday, and the Big Brother Band will start at 6 p.m.
Staff said it's full circle because the storms forced them to cancel Big Brother's concert at Ricky T's in November.
The Source
FOX 13's Kailey Tracy collected the information in this story.
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