Hurricane Ian: One Year Later

2023 • HURRICANE IAN: ONE YEAR LATER • 25 Habitat South Sarasota is proud to be a part of the AMAZING community response following Hurricane Ian. #FLORIDASTRONG www.habitatsouthsarasota.org 941-493-6606 adno=3903107-1 SNOOK HAVEN saved by staff, support Ronald Dupont Jr. Gondolier Editor VENICE – After Hurricane Ian swept through Florida and the water subsided, Justin Pachota was able to survey the damage at Venice's Snook Haven. The Myakka River had risen so much that the water got as high as 4 feet inside the restaurant and stayed there for 10 days. And it wasn't just water that got everywhere. There was mud and leaves and branches. And it was a lost cause, some experts told Pachota. As the president of Venice Pier Group, which owns Snook Haven, he mulled what to do next. Then he heard other voices speaking up. From his staff. They felt the restaurant could be saved. So they pushed for him to rescue it and reopen it. And that's exactly what he did – with big help from them. "We were very determined," he said. "Once we had their support, it was full speed ahead." In just three months, the Venice landmark was reopened. It cost the company $175,000 and a lot of elbow grease. "There were days where no matter how much you cleaned, it was still dirty," he said. Pachota praised his contractor, J2 Solutions, which has long and deep ties to Venice. "The contractor was excited about getting it open," Pachota said. But now Snook Haven has a new challenge — the construction on River Road as it is widened. Traffic backs up on the main feeder road to the restaurant, and then there are the detours. On a recent day, the major intersection vital to the restaurant was turned into a four-way stop being controlled by a deputy. Residents are learning to avoid River Road. "hat's not conducive to getting good customer traffic," Pachota said. Venice Pier Group operates Snook Haven with approval from Sarasota County, which owns the land and buildings. But the county has only approved Snook Haven's contract through April of next year. Pachota said that saving the restaurant was a challenge but "even harder is to run a restaurant when you know you only have a year." He said that Venice Pier Group may very well bid on opening in whatever the county has planned next for the land but that he would need to see the master plan first. "It's kind of important to know what it's going to be before we commit," he said. PHOTO PROVIDED Floodwaters from the Myakka River completely cut off Venice's historic Snook Haven Restaurant. PHOTO PROVIDED Snook Haven Restaurant, coined as having an Old Florida feel, was submerged in water as the Myakka River flooded after Hurricane Ian.

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