CLEARWATER BEACH, Fla. — The Super Bowl is always a big night for restaurants and bars, especially along the coast for businesses recovering after back-to-back hurricanes.
At Jimmy’s Fish House and Iguana Bar on Clearwater Beach, fans packed in stayed glued to the TV and cheered on their favorite team.
“Go Chiefs!” said Sandy Sessler.
“E-A-G-L-E-S, Eagles!” said Michael McMullin.
It’s a welcome sight after hurricanes ravaged the area last year.
“We’re talking about like 15-foot waves crashing inside the restaurant,” said Natasha Carpenter, the General Manager of Jimmy's Fish House and Iguana Bar.
Hurricane Helene devastated the restaurant and left the business with significant damage.
“The bar obviously looked like a washing machine,” said Carpenter. “It just went in there and twisted and turned everything. It caved in about two walls inside there.”
Jimmy’s Fish House was closed for months, finally reopening in December, so to bring fans in for the biggest football night of the year meant the world.
“I’m going to be emotional, but we have returning guests every year, and we had so many people reaching out and wanting to be here, and I can’t wait to get back here, and we’re excited to have them all back,” said Carpenter. “I personally feel blessed that we have the opportunity to be back.”
Rebounding has been a process for many along the coast. It’s something that’s not lost on fans, who came together to help lift up local businesses.
“We support all local businesses” said McMullin. “We all need a little help.”
“The staff is just great. I can’t say anymore,” said Sessler. “They’re just great, and they really pitched in to get it back up and going.”
School bus cameras have caught thousands of drivers in Florida blowing past stop signs. I-Team Investigator Katie LaGrone found that one county is preventing drivers from making their cases in court.
