MANATEE COUNTY, Fla. — Despite some setbacks, Slicker’s Eatery is back open after Hurricane Helene flooded and damaged the restaurant.

Bob Slicker opened his restaurant in Cortez in 2021, but had been closed for the past four months.

Slicker said he had to start from scratch and replace everything after the storm last year flooded the entire restaurant.

“Seeing the destruction of the place, I didn’t know if I had the intent of reopening or just getting it cleaned out,” he said.

After acquiring a small business loan, and with the support of the community, he was able to rebuild and reopen.

“We know we are never going to make up what we lost, but if we can get ahead, that’s cool,” he expressed.

Slicker said the closure had a ripple effect.

“You not only lose your income, but the bills don’t stop coming. We had health insurance, electric, gas, rent for the building…all of that stuff never stops. The four months were very long for us,” he said.

But now, he has one main goal:

“Seeing people smile and giving the best product we can give them,” he said.

Slicker’s Eatery also won the Small Business Award from The Anna Maria Chamber of Commerce. The owner says he’s anticipating Slicker’s Eatery will return to full business hours next week.