MANATEE COUNTY, Fla. — A historic bar on Anna Maria Island is celebrating a major milestone this year: its 100th anniversary.

But the Drift-In bar been closed since Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton caused significant damage to the establishment.

The old bar is looking more familiar now, but it took a lot of work to get it back to this condition after it was damaged by last year’s hurricanes.

Derek Williams owns Anna Maria Island’s Drift-In, which was built in 1925.

“We had water 3.5 feet probably in here,” Williams said. “You know, clearly drained out. And then we had what seemed like the bottom of the ocean.”

Williams said they lost almost everything due to water damage from Helene’s storm surge.

“We had to clean up a lot of mud and debris,” he said. “And then we went through the process of trying to get our building up to code and make things a little bit better when it comes to electric and plumbing and just safety.”

They were even able to save some of the bar’s history.

“The good news is the bar top and the original Drift-In bar are still here. We were able to bring it back to life,” Williams said.

The outside needed reviving, too. The tiki hut was damaged by the hurricanes.

“The dive bar has been here for many years and is getting a facelift because of the hurricanes,” Williams said.

With this year marking its 100th year on the island, Williams is eager to reopen the bar that he says is special to him.

“This was my father-in-law’s life’s work,” he said. “So for us, just keeping his legacy alive and keeping this place a fun, safe place for people to come when they visit the island is very important to us. And, you know, hope to keep it going for many years to come.”

With the dedicated rebuilding effort, this bar is now set to remain a staple on the island for years to come.

Williams said he hopes the bar will be reopened in about a month and plans on celebrating its 100th year of operation this year.