The road ahead appears to be a long one for Sanibel Island and less long for Captiva Island in terms of bringing back all of its restaurants, businesses and lodging following Hurricane Ian.  

So far, 16 restaurants have reopened on the islands.  

Those were some of the takeaways from Michael Polly, a real estate broker and president of Royal Shell Real Estate and Royal Shell Vacations, which has 525 properties on or in the vicinity of the islands. Just 20% of those have reopened, most of which are on Captiva.  

Tahitian Gardens and Sundial Beach Resort & Spa, two of the larger properties owned by RLR Investments, which also owns Royal Shell, remain shut down.  

“Every complex is a little bit different and unique,” Polly said. “Some things like elevators have long wait times to get in. So, we are in different phases with each property. Most are undergoing new roofs, most are in the renovation process, but none are complete, and it’s going to be a little while.”  

Polly served as a guest speaker Wednesday afternoon at the Sanibel & Captiva Islands Chamber of Commerce event at the Marriott Sanibel Harbor Resort & Spa, which, unlike about 30% of Lee County’s coastal hotels, remains open following the Sept. 28 devastation of Hurricane Ian.  

“The Sundial Resort and Spa was hit pretty hard,” Polly said. “It’s a Gulf-front property. The first floors were basically wiped out. All of that infrastructure has to be put back. All of the mechanicals have to be put back. The third and fourth floors of the resort already have power. We’re able to start working on kitchens and some of the things for the restaurants, but it’s going to be a long way before we have all of the elevators, air conditioning, everything restored the way it needs to be.  

“They’re working as hard as they can to get those habitable again.”  

Polly continues to be asked when certain properties and hotels will reopen. He said he couldn’t answer at the moment, because there were too many variables and unknowns.  

“I know that’s going to get asked,” Polly said. “But there’s no way to pinpoint even a time frame.  

“The supply chain has been broken for several years now. And costs escalated greatly, so all of those factors come into play. Sourcing materials, labor, all of it is challenging.”  

Tourist season in Southwest Florida typically ends after Easter Sunday, after which island restaurant revenue usually falls.  

At Doc Ford’s Rum Bar and Grille on Sanibel, owner Marty Harrity said he and his staff remain undaunted by a 40% drop in sales from one year prior, considering that number pretty good despite the challenges created by the storm.  

“You look at all the beaches, and they’re empty,” Harrity said. “And, currently, there’s very few places to stay.”  

Harrity said he’s spinning the positives with T-shirt and apparel sales at Doc Ford’s, typically about 2% of the company’s total revenue, surging to about 10%.  

In addition, the restaurant’s lunch crowd has increased, which has helped offset the declining number at dinner.  

“We’ve been open for over a month, and we’re doing the best we can,” Harrity said.  

Polly said local residents on mainland Lee County and the surrounding areas can help the reopened island restaurants by visiting them.  

“It’s their lifeblood right now,” he said. “We don’t have the visitors. We don’t have the lodging for visitors to stay. Those dollars that are spent in those restaurants – there’s 16 of them by the way, on the islands, that need your support.”  

Other Sanibel businesses aren’t as far away for mainland Lee County as they used to be. There’s an enclave of displaced Sanibel and Captiva-based businesses that have relocated to Bell Tower shopping center in south Fort Myers, including Adventures in Paradise Outfitters, owned by Josh Stewart. He spoke about the importance of banding together at the monthly chamber meetings.  

“The more people we have, the better,” Stewart said. “A lot of people are coming together, sharing their experiences and sharing information.”  

Stewart said he was hopeful for his business to return home in time for next tourist season. Until then, shoppers can find them at Bell Tower in unit 183.  

“My gut tells me sometime this summer to finish the plaza,” Stewart said of Tahitian Gardens shopping center off Periwinkle Way. “We’d like to open by November or December.”