HOLMES BEACH – The surf is up for the reopening of the West Coast Surf Shop, 3902 Gulf Drive, after a fire heavily damaged it on April 15, 2018.
Owner Jim Brady was notified Tuesday that the shop’s certificate of occupancy has been approved by the Holmes Beach Building Department.
“We just got the word,” Brady said. “We’ll take down the fence and move the dumpsters and call our suppliers.”
After the fire, Jim and his wife, Ronee, salvaged some merchandise that was in the store and held sales outside, under the fire-damaged facade. They braved high summer temperatures under tents to keep the income flowing.
Friends of the Brady family held a fundraiser at The Center of Anna Maria Island in early July to help them get through the wait as the insurance company settled the claim and reconstruction began.
There were no injuries and the structure stayed intact during the fire.
“We expect we’ll restock and reopen our doors within seven days to two weeks,” Brady said. “Then we’ll have a soft opening soon after that.”
The West Coast Surf Shop is the oldest on Florida’s west coast and the Bradys have been active members of the business community.
During the fundraiser, longtime island resident Joe Hutchinson said, “We decided to have a good old-fashioned fundraiser just like many we’ve held so many times in the past. Through all those events, the Bradys were there contributing items to sell and helping with the work it takes to put on these things. They were at every one of them.”
Now, with a little help from their friends, the Bradys will soon be back in business.
