Latest news with #MichaelButler
Yahoo
17-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Six months after hurricanes, beach restaurants are cautiously welcoming people back
PASS-A-GRILLE — From up high on the rooftop of the Berkeley Beach Club hotel, it's easy to forget about the destruction below. Tops of buildings glisten in the sunlight, while the Pass-a-Grille Channel dazzles a dreamy turquoise blue. Locals and tourists toast cocktails at sunset. But a few floors down it's a different scene, with destroyed buildings and ever-present construction crews serving as a reminder of the catastrophic damage incurred during last year's back-to-back hurricanes. At the Dewey, on the bottom floor of the Berkeley Beach Club, an empty dining room with gutted walls sits unfinished — evidence of the four feet of floodwater that surged into the building during Hurricane Helene. A couple doors down, the barebones facade of The Seahorse restaurant shows the brutal extent of the storm's wrath on the 88-year-old structure. The owners haven't begun to rebuild. It's been six months since storms forged a violent path across the region, and Pinellas County beach towns are struggling to come back to life. The local hospitality industry, which relies heavily on tourism, has been kneecapped. Several big hotels — including the iconic Don CeSar — remain closed, and snowbirds have been slow to return, many having lost their part-time homes. But there's room for cautious optimism. Some restaurants and hotels are reopening, and tourism appears to be making a gradual comeback. There's a checkerboard effect out here, with patrons sipping margaritas and eating grouper sandwiches next to destroyed buildings and active construction sites. Every day now, it seems another restaurant announces they won't reopen, while a new spot emerges. Everyone agrees: Business is returning to the beaches. But are the beaches ready? On a recent Friday afternoon, the bar at The Helm was abuzz with regulars. A bouquet of flowers sat on the counter, a note of congratulations poking out between peach-colored roses and daisies. 'We're back, baby!' the card read. 'The Helm 2.0.' The well-wishing, from a pair of longtime patrons, echoed the jovial mood in the dining room during the restaurant's first service in nearly six months. More than three feet of water flooded the St. Pete Beach space and washed away chairs, tables and kitchen appliances during Hurricane Helene. Owners Heidi and Michael Butler had to replace 90% of their equipment. They didn't get the Small Business Administration loan they'd hoped for, and being out of business for months cost more than $200,000. They ended up closing another restaurant they own in Greenville, South Carolina. But with help from family members and friends, they reopened their St. Pete Beach spot last month. And business came roaring back. 'Last night was the first night I've slept in months,' Michael Butler said on the eatery's opening day. 'It feels good to be bringing in revenue again.' During the inaugural service, diners tipped back oyster shooters and sipped champagne. They exchanged friendly banter with bartenders while dining on salmon nicoise salads and crab cake sandwiches. They hugged and laughed, catching up on lost time. There's still a lot of uncertainty, Heidi Butler said. When will the beach feel normal again? Will business be good enough to sustain their restaurant? What happens if there's another storm? The Butlers know that while it may not always feel like it, they are among the lucky ones. A few blocks away, on the corner of 75th Avenue and Sunset Way, several restaurants are surrounded by boarded-up homes. Two restaurants are open — Buoys and the Oyster Shucker — while another, The Toasted Monkey, remains closed downstairs (though the spot has reopened its rooftop bar). Nearby Willy's Burger remains closed indefinitely, while the empty shell of Woody's Waterfront sits vacant with a 'For Sale' sign out front. After 35 years, the owners decided it was too costly to stay and rebuild. Many beach institutions have yet to reopen, including Mahuffer's in Indian Shores and Treasure Island's Waffle House, whose owners have no timeline to return. Some restaurants, including VIP Mexican in Treasure Island and Caddy's in Sunset Beach, have set up food trucks and tents while they work to rebuild. Florida's balmy spring weather is beckoning, and hospitality workers and restaurant owners hope the coming months will help them recoup some of their financial losses. Grace restaurant, just up the block from the Dewey in Pass-a-Grille, reopened following a brief hiatus for renovations, and over on the beach, Paradise Grille welcomed guests after a full remodel. Both owners said their restaurants have been busy. 'The amount of people — they're coming at a record pace,' said Paradise Grille owner Mike Janecek. 'We always call Valentine's Day the 'light switch' moment. This year, Valentine's Day was the busiest day we've ever had, in 16 years.' Over at Sola Bistro in St. Pete Beach, owner Tig Khachaturyan echoed the sentiment. 'When the cold weather finally broke, it was like a flood of people coming to the beach,' he said. Khachaturyan's restaurant was mostly spared during the storms — no flooding from Helene, no major wind damage from Milton. But the restaurant closed for several weeks and business was initially slow to return. Local support kept the restaurant afloat, and business has picked up in recent weeks, Khachaturyan said. But the absence of tourists and snowbirds is palpable, he said. 'I'm waiting for the Don CeSar to reopen,' Khachaturyan said. 'It's just symbolic. When it's closed and you see all this work getting done, it's just depressing.' The Don CeSar has targeted March 26 for a 'phased reopening.' But the Beachcomber and the Bellwether Beach Resort, two staple St. Pete Beach hotels, won't reopen until summer, meaning that more than 100 employees furloughed since the storms won't have jobs for several more months. (Some displaced hospitality workers are still waiting for state unemployment aid.) Everything from permitting lags and construction setbacks to disputes over federal assistance have stymied the rebuilding process, said Dannette Lynch, a regional director of membership for the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association. With significantly older structures, there's an added conundrum, Lynch said: the loss of historic character, and the question of what rebuilding entails amid intensifying Gulf storms. 'How do you keep your uniqueness of who you are, your reputation, your history … and still rebuild?' she said. The restaurant association's Disaster Relief Fund has distributed roughly $115,000 in grants to businesses after Hurricane Helene — $50,000 of which was allocated for Pinellas restaurants and lodging establishments, said Ashley Chambers, a spokesperson for the organization. The Seahorse in Pass-a-Grille received a loan from the Florida Small Business Emergency Bridge Loan Program and a grant from the Small Business Administration for equipment and to cover inventory loss, said owner Anayeri Gomez. It's helped with the financial setbacks incurred during the restaurant's prolonged closure, but Gomez said it will likely take many more months before the restaurant can reopen. She's aiming for the fall. The building, which was constructed in 1936 and hosted soldiers stationed nearby during World War II, suffered extensive damage from six feet of floodwater during Hurricane Helene. 'It took everything,' Gomez said. 'Walls, booths, the kitchen — we're essentially rebuilding the entire front of the restaurant.' At the Berkeley Beach Club, owner Maryann Ferenc offered hotel guests a discounted rate. But the restaurant downstairs remains closed while she appeals a decision from the Federal Emergency Management Agency that denied her claim. Ferenc tried to keep her staff employed, both at the hotel and by making room at her Tampa restaurant, Mise en Place. But she's concerned about what the future of the industry holds. 'You can't have this many people out of work at the same time. Everything's stressed — this is not sustainable.' There's been a significant push to usher people back to the beach, both from locals and tourism marketing agencies like Visit St. Pete-Clearwater. But Ferenc said it's a mixed bag when you beckon back tourism without being fully ready. Visitors could be expecting paradise and surprised to see the remnants of so much devastation. 'I think they need to come here,' she said. 'But you have to be careful. Tourism for Florida is a long-term, not a short-term game.'
Yahoo
16-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Apprenticeships plea to help care leavers
Businesses are being urged to help care leavers get into permanent work. Sunderland City Council wants firms to ringfence apprenticeships for care leavers to help boost their chance of employment. Figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), revealed that just 40% of care experienced people aged 19 to 21 on Wearside were in education or employment last year - lower than the 54% average across England. Southwick Labour councillor Michael Butler said many care leavers were "real innovative thinkers" who would be an asset to businesses. "A lot of people who experience care, although they have challenges, have some wonderful gifts," he said. Together for Children, which delivers children's services for the council, said four people aged between 17 and 22 had taken up apprenticeship roles within the organisation. New apprentice Keilee said: "Sometimes young people like me can feel things are a little more difficult to navigate, but it's been perfect, so I'd definitely recommend the apprenticeship route." Follow BBC Sunderland on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram. Send your story ideas here. Care leaver 'overjoyed' by local music opportunity Young adults leaving care system 'face challenges' Sunderland City Council
Miami Herald
30-01-2025
- Business
- Miami Herald
The 44 Percent: Reggae group Inner Circle honored, Jazz in the Gardens, Black homeownership
I remember the first house my parents bought. It was perfect for a couple that had two kids and one on the way and provided a comforting feeling for a young me who loved having her own room. I also remember how my grandmother helped my parents in that process. She and my grandfather were blessed with theirs, so why not help her son and his family? Not every Black person has the privilege to have help with buying a new home. Down payment assistance is crucial in that step but also essential in further building out the Black middle class at a time when some Black people are seeing challenges with becoming middle class. INSIDE THE 305: Saving for a down payment in Miami? A Black-owned bank is offering forgivable loans The pathway to homeownership can be challenging for those that don't have the funds, but one bank is looking to change that for Black residents. As Michael Butler writes: Could more Black residents in Miami build generational wealth by owning their homes? A new program offered by the Black-owned OneUnited Bank is offering first-time homeowners forgivable loans of up to $50,000 to try to make that happen. The bank's Lift Up Homeownership Program is meant to help first-time homebuyers who are Black, Latino, Native American, Asian or native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander make a down payment on a home. Dancehall, rap acts will be showcased at Miami Gardens' premiere music festival Jazz in the Gardens is a little less jazz this year, but a lot more dancehall and rap. The concert series announced more of its two-day lineup this week, with others expected to be announced as the weekend event approaches. The festival also marks the first major performance for dancehall legend Beenie Man in the U.S. OUTSIDE THE 305: A humanitarian waiver to freeze in U.S. foreign aid could offer some relief to Haiti Foreign aid should be flowing back to Haiti after a freeze on U.S. foreign assistance was walked back by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Miami Herald Haiti correspondent Jacqueline Charles reported. As Charles writes: The waiver, according to the State Department, is among billions of dollars in exemption requests that have been received since the administration hit pause on U.S. foreign assistance, a halt that according to the office of the State Department spokesperson had already prevented $1 billion 'in spending not aligned with an America First agenda.' Severe Weather Is Increasing the Cost of Living for Black Americans Extreme weather is contributing to the cost of living increase for Black Americans, Capital B reported. According to their reporting, the damage from extreme weather events in January, such as the wildfires and winter storms, have put economic losses at nearly $800 billion. As Adam Mahoney with Capital B writes: And while these crises affect everyone, Black Americans are feeling the impact the most. Underfunded communities are struggling to recover, jobs are disappearing, and insurance premiums are skyrocketing as the risk of displacement grows. These extreme weather events are disrupting industries you wouldn't normally associate with disasters, making it harder for Black families to access basic necessities like food and water. A recent report warns that without swift action to limit the impact of severe weather, it will cost children born in 2024 at least $500,000 up to $1 million over their lifetime. That's from higher living costs — like soaring housing costs and strained food supplies — and lower earnings from missed work. HIGH CULTURE Reggae legends honored at concert this weekend Perhaps fittingly, Reggae Month also coincides with Black History Month. On Sunday, concert series Reggae Genealogy will highlight reggae acts and honor reggae icons Inner Circle, known for their hit 'Bad Boys,' Wayne Wonder, and Donovan Germain. Tickets for the series, held at Broward Mall in the northeast parking lot near Broward Boulevard and University Drive, range from $15 to $60. General admission tickets at the door will be $30.
