CLEARWATER BEACH, Fla. — A popular beachfront restaurant in the middle of renovations was hit by Hurricane Helene, delaying its reopen.

What You Need To Know

  • Frenchy's Rockaway Grill could open before Thanksgiving

  • The restaurant was undergoing renovations when damaged by Hurricane Helene

  • Expect some challenges with parking, beach access

Frenchy’s Rockaway Grill was closed for remodeling, then damaged by Helene. Now, with additional work to complete, the timeframe to reopen has been delayed by more than one month.

“We got some of the railing on the deck got damaged from some debris floating into it,” said Chris Tiemeier, general manager of the Clearwater Beach eatery. “We lost some tables that were strapped down on the beach. We got about 13 inches of water inside the building.”

Tiemeier says being closed for renovations actually ended up being a blessing.

“I think if we were open normally, it would have been worse. Because we would have had all of our equipment and furniture inside still,” said Tiemeier.

Work on restaurant projects continues. Some were planned, some were unexpected.

“It should feel like almost a whole new building in a way because we replaced the bars, we re-did all the flooring, we did a lot of work on the walls, we changed one of the upper bars, we turned it into a dining room,” said Tiemeier.

The manager also says visitors should expect some challenges.

“There might be some hassles with the parking lot and getting to and from the beach near us,” said Tiemeier.

“The water broke up the actual parking lot and it caved in in quite a few places.”

The City of Clearwater tells Spectrum Bay News 9 that repairs to the parking lot could take months, reminding that the eastern half is open.

And management at Frenchy’s hopes to open its restaurant soon.

“We should be open before Thanksgiving,” said Tiemeier.