The Beach Bar is back
The Beach Bar just had its most successful day of business since Greg Boyd and Madeline Boyd bought the Fort Myers Beach business in 2009. They held a grand reopening with their new building on the Fourth of July on a day when the town canceled its scheduled parade due to inclement weather in the forecast.
No matter. The people showed up anyway. Mr. Boyd said they did twice as much business that day than they had in the 16 years they have been running the popular beachfront establishment where refreshments are on the menu and the live music sets the mood.
“The Fourth of July was a huge success,” Boyd said.
The Beach Bar is back in a new way. One of the first businesses to reopen after Hurricane Ian, The Beach Bar had essentially been operating without much of a home after its old building was destroyed by the storm in 2022.
The Beach Bar started doing business out of a trailer in January of 2023, less than 100 days after Hurricane Ian – which is really Superman type of time in the scheme of the recovery period. Less than nine months after they broke ground on a rebuild, The Beach Bar is bigger than ever operating out of a three-story building with a proper foundation and a full-proof plan to survive another hurricane.
After Hurricane Ian struck, there was nothing left of The Beach Bar.
The Beach Bar’s co-owner Greg Boyd, a retired Marine Corporal who served during the Vietnam War, saw to it that every nail was pulled out of the pilings.
“We had to make sure it was safe for everybody to come back,” Manager Matt Faller said of the work they undertook.
The Beach Bar is a landmark on the island, with the original wood-framed property dating back to the 1960’s when it was a bait shop and a package store, before it ultimately gained a license to sell alcohol.
Boyd said that business has cooled a little bit since that Fourth of July celebration. “Things have been good. It’s a very slow part of the season right now,” Boyd said. “It’s so hard to judge because we are not in season.”
During the summer season, live music is being held Fridays through Mondays from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. From October to March, there will be live music each day during the same time. The Beach Bar is open seven days a week from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Faller said The Beach Bar is all about “cold beer, live music and toes in the sand.”
For those who don’t dabble in alcoholic drinks, The Beach Bar also has an array of non-alcoholic options. Behind the bar are the mixed juices for some of the more popular cocktails – Margaritas, strawberry daiquiris and pina coladas. Customers have the option to enjoy the cocktails with or without alcohol.
Boyd said beer is the top seller at the bar, with the most popular choice Michelob Ultra. But the bar can just as easily make cranberry juice or pineapple juice. You can order a wine, Long Island Iced Tea, a Sprite or a watermelon seltzer. “We can do anything,” Boyd said.
The Beach Bar is one of those beachfront businesses that help make Fort Myers Beach what it is. There is the ability to sit down at the bar indoors or sit on a table in the sand and soak up the sun under an umbrella while enjoying the view of the Gulf.
Boyd and his sister Madeline were directors on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Natives of New Jersey, they have owned several businesses throughout their careers though have made a personal connection to this one. They call Fort Myers Beach home and have stuck with the island through Ian and the most recent hurricanes of Helene and Milton last year.
Boyd is especially proud of some of the extra measures the business took to be hurricane resilient and to be compliant with the most up-to-date FEMA regulations.
That includes state-of-the-art restrooms built on hydraulics, designed to be hooked up to a sewer system built by Stevens Construction which can be pulled out and hooked up to a truck to be driven away within an hour’s notice. Much of what is inside the bar in fact could be pulled out at a moment’s notice in the event of a future hurricane. “We will open the shutters and truck everything out,” Boyd said.
Dan Adams, vice president/principal of Stevens Construction, Inc, said “The Beach Bar was rebuilt with a focus on resilience after Hurricane Ian destroyed the original structure in 2022. With a 6,133-square-foot footprint, the three-story design incorporates durable materials such as simulated stucco siding and trim, composite soffits and a standing seam metal roof for greater longevity and storm resistance. The Beach Bar exterior includes yellow Bahama shutters to complement its logo.”
The project was designed by Studio A.D. and Edge Interiors provided the interior design.
Boyd said in the event of a hurricane the shutters would be opened to allow all the water to pass through in order to avoid serious damage. Flood vents were also installed.
The business is on the same footprint as the old location, which was known for its relatively small space that gave it a unique atmosphere especially on big season days when crowds might swell to fill up the room.
The new building has two floors of housing which will be available as vacation rentals beginning in September. The rentals offer balconies with sightly views over the beach.
The Boyds have made a big personal investment in rebuilding The Beach Bar. “It’s a big investment in the town which I firmly believe in,” Boyd said. “I believe in its future, the people that are here. There are a lot of things that need to be worked out but I am sure that it is going to happen. It’s a big learning process as we go.”