Rebirth of The Whale
As a full house gathered under a tent where The Whale once stood as a landmark of the old Fort Myers Beach to celebrate a groundbreaking for the construction of its rebuild, co-owner Mike Miller had a story to tell of how this day almost didn’t arrive.
After Hurricane Ian totaled The Whale, mere months after Dawn and Mike Miller bought it, Mr. Miller was frank with his wife. He asked her “Do you know how much money we have made in the three and a half months?”
They had bought the property during the summer of 2022 before disaster struck, meaning not a whole lot.
“Let’s unload this thing,” Mr. Miller said to his wife.
Mrs. Miller had another idea. “Find something else to sell,” she replied.
What Mr. Miller didn’t realize until that moment was that his wife had grown attached to The Whale in that short span of ownership.
“I purchased this as a real estate investment,” Mr. Miller said. “One thing led to another and my wife just fell in love with the place.”
While Mr. Miller was spending much of his time running their manufacturing plant in Tennessee, Mrs. Miller was working on running the business and its rebranding.
The couple purchased a home on Fort Myers Beach in 2018 after vacationing on the island for about 25 years. They practically raised their children on trips to Fort Myers Beach several times a year before selling their Ohio home and settling down on the bay in the southern section of the town.
When Hurricane Ian destroyed The Whale, Mr. Miller said his first reaction was “mind boggling and shocking.”
The original building dated back to 1947, he said. There had been three additions.
“I did everything I could to find the original wood door,” he said. Miller said the door was a solid two-to-three inch thick oak wood door.
The good news was that their home survived.
“We had a lot of damage. There was seven feet of water in the house,” Mr. Miller said. “We lost three boats, four Waverunners and a BMW.” They recovered one of the boats. The other two were totaled.
On Friday, Mr. Miller explained to the crowd how it was their support that to the decision to build The Whale again.
“If it wasn’t for you and the community, we wouldn’t even be rebuilding,” he told them.
The Whale will be a little different in its new incarnation. There will be three stories.
One thing that will stay the same is their famous smoked wings. Luckily for the Millers, they know the recipe and make it at home regularly.
Greg Von Krumreig, a managing partner in the restaurant, said the new restaurant will be built partly over some of the remains of the old building which was buried underneath the sand where folks were gathered in a tent Friday. “I am excited not only for us but for the community of Fort Myers Beach,” he said.
Since the restaurant was torn down after Hurricane Ian, there have been rotating food trucks at the property. That has ended for now. Construction is expected to last until July or August of 2025.
“It’s an icon,” Fort Myers Beach Vice Mayor Jim Atterholt said. He called the rebuilding of The Whale “a significant chapter in the rebuild of Fort Myers Beach. We are very fortunate for entrepreneurs like Dawn and Mike for being willing to invest in our future.”
Meanwhile, the Millers are making plans for another property in town. They purchased the former Tuckaway Café building further south along Estero Blvd. which is going to be Sandy Bottoms Bar & Grill, which they plan to open with midwestern comfort food in the coming months.
Atterholt said that when The Whale opens next summer it will be “a great comfort to people. It’s part of our recovery therapy to see these icons come back.”