The Zink family sailed from Michigan to Florida in 1986, opening their first Fishermen’s Village shop Beneath the Sea in 1999.
The shop started off as a surf and dive shop, the first of its kind in Punta Gorda. Opened by husband and wife Bobby and Loreen, the first generation of the Zink family business owners, the shop became beloved by locals and visitors alike.
Over the years, the shop grew into more, offering items for watersports, paddleboarding and fishing. The shop now carries brand names such as Tervis tumblers, U.S. Divers, Tilos and Aqua Sphere snorkeling gear and Zap skimboards and surfboards.
Serving the community through a small, family business for over two decades, second generation of the Zink family, younger Bobby and his wife Amber, are set to open two more shops in Fishermen’s Village on Friday.
Village Outfitters and Harborwalk Resort Wear will join Beneath the Sea as small businesses owned and operated by the Zink family.
The idea behind the two shops is to create stores that are fit for Punta Gorda and to outfit Punta Gorda.
The name Village Outfitters is intended to highlight the importance of Fishermen’s Village, a waterfront shopping, entertainment, and resort complex located along Charlotte Harbor. The shop will have merchandise dedicated to Fishermen’s Village itself, along with Oakley sunglasses and apparel, Pelagic fishing gear and paddleboards, Smith Optics and Last Local.
“We’re trying to carry a lot of fishing apparel and Florida-based companies,” Amber said. “We want to keep it local. We want to keep it real and that’s why we want to carry as much USA products as possible as well.”
Harborwalk Resort Wear will open right next to Village Outfitters.
“A lot of people aim for the older people in this community, which is a beautiful, beautiful thing, but nobody aims for the young mom or the 50-year-old or the 40-year-old,” Amber said. “So, we’re hitting that category with our resort wear store.”
Harborwalk Resort Wear is expected to have something for every body type, with the best possible products. The shop will carry women’s Tori Richard, Julie Vos jewelry, Tommy Bahama bathing suits and more.
“We want to make sure that as this community grows and more families come here that women are able to shop that don’t normally get to because it’s an older clientele,” Amber said.
First meeting on the property, Fishermen’s Village and its community hold a special place in the hearts of the second generation of the Zink family.
“I met Bobby on the property,” Amber said. “We met at the old nut stand that used to be in the middle of the mall and we’ve been here ever since.”
Amber and Bobby took over ownership of Beneath the Sea after the death of Bobby’s father in February, keeping the family business alive for the newest member of their family, their son Bobby named after the youngest and eldest Bobby.
“My mother sold [Beneath the Sea] to me and she wanted it to be carried on to her grandchild,” Bobby said. “Hopefully there’ll be a third-generation small business.”
The grand opening of both stores for long-time Fishermen’s Village shopkeepers on Jan. 20 comes with 20% off every purchase of $100 or more all weekend.
