CORTEZ – With weeks of hard work behind them of cleaning up flood damage caused by Hurricane Helene, Star Fish Company Dockside Restaurant and Seafood Market reopened on Oct. 31.
“Mother Nature always wins, but human nature will always come back,” Star Fish manager Jim Gowett said seeing the full lunch crowd at the outdoor landmark restaurant.
Gowett has worked at Star Fish Company for 26 years and as manager for eight. He said the buildings there had never gotten water before.
Following the storm surge from Hurricane Helene on Sept. 27 more than two feet of water got into the buildings, carrying along with it mud and silt.
“We came here right after the hurricane and we were in shock,” he said. “We didn’t even know where to start.”
Gowett said the staff then got to work on cleaning every item in the restaurant and seafood shop.
“We cleaned every shell, every bottle,” he said. “We had this cleaned up and ready to go a week ago, but like everyone else, our coolers and equipment got destroyed with the water, so we were waiting for new ones to be delivered.”
Following Hurricane Helene, broken dock planks were scattered on the dock and tables were overturned by the force of the water.
Star Fish owner Karen Bell said it took a lot of work to get everything back together.
“The docks were a mess, and we are still missing the floating dock,” she said. “All the kitchen equipment had to be replaced due to flood water. But we got it done and I am so happy to be open.”
Star Fish has a long history as a Cortez landmark.
According to the Star Fish Company website, it was started in the early 1920s by Judge Millis. Gaylord Garner purchased the business in the 1950s and his son Allen took it over in the late 1980s.
It was primarily a wholesale company before the addition of the retail market in the 1960s.
“In 1996 Allen Garner sold the company to its current owner, Karen Bell. Karen felt that in addition to offering the public fresh seafood in the retail market, it made sense to start offering cooked seafood also. A small kitchen was upgraded and eight picnic tables were placed on the back dock. A restaurant was born,” the Star Fish website states.
The Star Fish Company restaurant serves locally harvested seafood from Cortez fishermen. Outdoor seating provides views of the local commercial fishing fleet and Sarasota Bay.
The Star Fish Company Seafood Market features seafood from local waters including grouper, snapper, mullet and stone crab claws.
Star Fish Company is located at 12306 46th Avenue W. in Cortez.
