SARASOTA, Fla. — At 65 years old, the Columbia Restaurant on St. Armands Circle is the oldest eatery in Sarasota.
It's been through a lot, but recent back-to-back hurricanes—which brought four feet of flooding and resultant chaos—almost destroyed the landmark.
"We didn't know what to say, didn't know what to do," said Casey Gonzmart Jr., fifth-generation owner-operator of the Columbia Restaurants and their affiliated outlets. "It was devastating."
But the Columbia, home of the famous 1905 Salad, did what it has been doing for a long, long time.
It survived.
While much of St. Armands Circle remains shuttered—the fate of so many shops and restaurants is uncertain—the Columbia re-opened after a furious five-week refurbishment.
New tables and chairs, new kitchen equipment, new walls, new paint.
While the main dining room is still being renovated, the rest of the historic restaurant is thriving with customers.
This is exactly what Sarasota had in mind when they launched their recent "Support the 941" revival push, urging residents and visitors alike to shop and eat local.
“Six grand out of my pocket”
In August, we reported how a man bought two used Volvos from the same Hillsborough used car dealership and found both cars had non-functioning airbags and seatbelts. Now, I-Team investigator Adam Walser tracked the new owner and arranged for a mechanic to see if the safety equipment was properly repaired before it was resold.
