The Sunshine State Is Still Shining & Serving Food

After IRMA’S Path of Darkness

After getting power on Friday September 15th, 5 days after IRMA hit our area, there were two things I needed, a hot shower and real food.
We decided to go to BoneFish Grill one of my favorite Seafood go to restaurants in St. Pete Florida. Let me say the meal was delicious as always and the service top-notch.
After a long week of not knowing if our home would still be standing and our family and friends were safe, sitting at a booth and seeing the hustle and bustle of a busy restaurant was actually calming. Normalcy has many faces…
Florida is home to about 40,000 restaurants that employ over 1 million people.
It’s estimated that they generate nearly $42 billion in annual sales, according to the National Restaurant Association.
Small cafes in Miami to legendary steak houses in Tampa,  are all focusing on getting back on their feet and serving their customers as soon as possible after dealing with IRMA.
I’ve  lived and owned businesses in Florida for almost 26 years.  I have started and helped others start several small restaurant businesses and have experienced extreme difficulties and prosperous times as an owner.
No matter how dark these days may seem if your restaurant owner, a true light at the end of the tunnel is waiting for you, you just have to believe and keep your eye on being a successful entrepreneur and serving your guests. Your business is your life and your employees are your family, together you can get through anything.

Brooke Palmer Kuhl, director of public relations at t Bern’s Steak House  had this to say after IRMA left her scars,  “It wasn’t about the wine; it wasn’t about the restaurant.  All that can be rebuilt. We can’t rebuild people who have worked at our restaurant for 40-some years. You can’t rebuild that sense of family that we have.”
Berns has been a steakhouse staple in Tampa, Fl and their  wine cellar is one of the best in the United States. The reality is people are most important everything else can be replaced.
Restaurants are often looked at as a sign of stability in a community!

We rely on each other to keep our community whole,  when these type of experiences test our existence we look to each other for support and hope. Support your local businesses don’t let your community down!
Restaurants have always played an important role in the business, social, and artistic life of a society. The major events of life, personal and professional, are celebrated in restaurants.
If you’re sick and tired of being cooped up during Hurricane Irma or watching from afar, head out to an area restaurant for a home  cooked meal and be thankful for those owners who get up every day to feed their customers.

Are you a restaurant owner operator and need help after IRMA?

As business owners start to assess damages, the Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association offered suggestions and resources that restaurant operators can tap into for the latest information and assistance during recovery.

What you need to do next?

This page has suggestions and resources that restaurant operators can tap into for the latest information and assistance during recovery, from the Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association.  Help for operators after Irma storms into Florida.
The Division of Consumer Services is ready to assist insurance consumers in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma by offering consumers direct access to insurance experts. They can answer many insurance-related questions.

 Restaurants are a way of American life. Millions of Americans will wait tables, cook food, or wash dishes for a living. Restaurants provide food and drink, and fulfill a human need for socializing. Restaurants play an important role in shaping our economy and the makeup of our towns and cities.
Support your local restaurants,  keep their doors open in times of need and celebration!!!