Farmer Joe’s grocery store in Cape Coral looks fine from the outside, but Hurricane Ian wrecked parts of its roof.  

The store at 1401 SW Pine Island Road opened to packed crowds in January and has grown to about 400 employees.  

But Farmer Joe’s will be closed for weeks, if not months, owner/operator Lee Snyder said.  

“When the damage was assessed by one of my business partners, we thought we might be able to get up and running,” Snyder said. “But when they got up on the roof, there was some major damage.” 

Hurricane Ian did most of its damage to Southwest Florida’s barrier islands with storm surge. But in northwest Cape Coral, the 140-mile-an-hour winds created havoc on Farmer Joe’s, knocking loose parts that “pin-balled” across the roof, making a bad situation even worse, Snyder said. 

“It hit air conditioning components and electronics,” Snyder said. “It’s a mess up there. I’m optimistic. We’re going to bounce back better than ever.”  

But the timing of reopening remains up in the air.  

“Sourcing the equipment is going to be the most difficult part,” Snyder said. “I’m hoping we can get this place up and running by Christmas.”  

Since Saturday, Farmer Joe’s has shifted to handing out free care packages to anyone who drives by to claim them. This will continue from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday through Friday.  

From 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, Farmer Joe’s will partner with Harry Chapin Food Bank and distribute food from the parking lot.  

“This keeps our employees busy,” Snyder said. “I need to try and find a way to take care of them, too.”