PASS-A-GRILLE, Fla. — An iconic 88-year-old restaurant finally reopened in Pass-A-Grille Beach following the 2024 storms.
The Seahorse Restaurant opened its doors this month after nearly 1-1/2 years of work.
What You Need To Know
The Seahorse on Pass-A-Grille Beach has reopened
It’s been closed since 2024 after hurricanes Helene and Milton
The owners made the restaurant look just like it did before the storms
Customers and the owners say they are thrilled that the 88-year-old restaurant has reopened
The restaurant sits right on the water.
“It’s been established since 1938 and is an iconic restaurant here in Pass-A-Grille,” said Anayeri Gomez, the owner and general manager of the Seahorse.
It hasn’t always been easy. The restaurant took on 7 feet of water from Hurricane Helene.
Not long after, the owner said Milton finished what Helene started.
“We had about probably up to here on water. Everything was gone,” she said, pointing to a spot on the wall.
The damage was so extensive that the city of St. Pete Beach condemned the building. But after nearly 1-1/2 years of work, and hundreds of thousands of dollars in renovations, the Seahorse finally reopened on Feb. 6.
“We were able to recreate everything and put it back together the way we remember it,” Gomez said.
Many of its customers have been coming to the now-historic building for decades. Regular customers Michael and Sue Valind were pleasantly surprised to see the same tables and décor from years ago.
“When people come down, we always take them to our favorite places. And since we were dating in 1983, we’ve been coming to the Seahorse, and so this is our first time back since it’s opened,” Sue Valind said.
The restaurant is already very busy making breakfast, lunch and packing to-go orders. Hungry customers are once again eating the meals they know and love from many of the same employees who worked there before the storms. The owners did have to hire some new people, though.
Gomez is asking for a little patience as they get settled back in.
She said it won’t be long before restaurant operations are back to normal.
“It feels great to see all our community back here, our customers and our friends and family. It’s an amazing feeling,” Gomez said.
It’s been a long road to recovery, but for the Seahorse, it has finally come to an end.