Columbia, which opened in 1959 and is Sarasota’s oldest full-service restaurant, is among the many many St. Armands Circle businesses that sustained major flooding caused by Hurricane Helene, together with its sister restaurant, Cha Cha Coconuts, which opened in 1989 and is positioned subsequent door on St. Armands Circle’s namesake road.
“Columbia Restaurant on St. Armands Circle in Sarasota and Cha Cha Coconuts subsequent door are closed indefinitely,” learn the unique publish on Cha Cha Coconuts’ Fb web page, published at 9 a.m. Friday, Sept. 27. The publish was later up to date to learn, “closed briefly.”
Jeff Houck, vp of selling for the 1905 Household of Eating places that features Columbia Restaurant and Cha Cah Coconuts, mentioned through e-mail to the Herald-Tribune that they’re “nonetheless assessing the harm, however there was vital flooding all through the circle.”
Afterward Friday, Houck reached out to the Herald-Tribune with an replace.
“We’re exhausting at work and we hope to be open by the start of subsequent week,” Houck mentioned.
Chris Goglia, president of the St. Armands Residents Affiliation, mentioned in an e-mail blast he had been informed by locals there was flooding within the space’s northwest and northeast quadrants, as well as in St. Armands Circle itself.
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Columbia Restaurant and Cha Cha Coconuts reopened following 11 inches of flooding from Hurricane Idalia
A couple of 12 months in the past, Columbia, which serves Spanish-Cuban delicacies, and the extra informal Cha Cha Coconuts sustained 11 inches of flooding from Hurricane Idalia. By the following morning, nevertheless, both restaurants were already set to reopen, with Cha Cha Coconuts welcoming company by 4 p.m.
Houck famous in 2023 that they used distant cameras in every restaurant to observe issues throughout Hurricane Idalia and by no means misplaced energy at both enterprise. Moreover, Houck identified that each locations “drained in a short time as soon as the pumps and pure drainage kicked in.”
Harm from Hurricane Helene seems worse.
“I don’t know something greater than what we posted on social, however after I do, I’ll let you already know instantly,” Houck mentioned through the e-mail despatched to Herald-Tribune on Friday, Sept. 27.
The Columbia Restaurant on St. Armands Circle is a part of the Tampa-based 1905 Household of Eating places, which incorporates the unique Columbia restaurant in Tampa’s Ybor Metropolis, that opened in 1905 and is acknowledged as Florida’s oldest restaurant. It’s listed as “closed briefly.”
“Please be a part of us in prayers for individuals who are affected by the immense devastation,” concludes the Fb publish by the 1905 Household of Eating places. “All of us are stronger collectively.”
Wade Tatangelo is Ticket Editor for the Sarasota Herald-Tribune, and Florida Regional Eating and Leisure Editor for the USA TODAY Community. Comply with him on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. He might be reached by e-mail at wade.tatangelo@heraldtribune.com.
This text initially appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Sarasota’s oldest restaurant ‘closed temporarily’ after storm damage
