Bimini Bait Shack, a seafood restaurant, tiki bar and grill situated at the foot of the Sanibel Causeway, reopened four months after Hurricane Ian.

The restaurant endured an estimated 9 to 10 feet of storm surge and 140 mph winds, with minimal water entry but major damage to its roof.

After experiencing a smaller turnout during its Jan. 27 soft opening weekend, Bimini Bait Shack continues to pick up momentum as word spreads about the restaurant’s return.

“We did a soft open Friday night,” General Manager Amy Lawrence said. “It was a little slow, which was nice to get everybody back into the groove of things. Ever since that first initial weekend, every day has just increased with business and traffic. It’s been wonderful.”

With the restaurant being closed for more than four months, most of Bimini’s staff found temporary employment at other restaurants. About 70% of its staff of 70 have been part of the team for a minimum of three years, with about half of the staff returning to full-time positions after it reopened.

“We probably had half of our staff return,” Lawrence said. “Maybe a quarter of the staff came back part time because they would like to stay loyal to the restaurants that took them in while we were closed, which is very respectful.”

Lawrence said Bimini replaced the other half of the staff it lost. While staff will be a mix of familiar and new faces, patrons can still expect their favorite menu items and live music.

As for the fish inhabiting its popular fish tank bar, guests can expect to see them back on-site within the next month. “The tanks actually had to be started over from scratch just from the amount of time that they sat empty,” Lawrence said. “They are on their last weeks of building to a certain bacteria level.”

While the journey to reopen was what Lawrence describes as challenging, she said it was worth the obstacles and delays.

“It’s amazing [to be back],” she said. “We’re all so happy to be here. We’re glad to see everybody back to work. It’s a really good feeling to be so well-received by the community, to feel their excitement that we’re back.”

Bimini Bait Shack is open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, and closing at 11 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays.