VENICE, Fla. — Regular visitors to the Snook Haven Park and Riverfront Restaurant could have some good news to expect about the reopening of the popular spot.
The Board of the Sarasota County Commission will consider staff recommendations for the reopening of the park, including a request to extend the concessionaire's lease.
The plan would be discussed at the Dec. 13 meeting. The park and restaurant have remained closed since Sept. 27 due to impacts from Hurricane Ian.
If the board approves of the agreement, the operator of the restaurant said he hopes to have it up and running on time for the holidays if all goes according to plan.
"I am an aggressive kind of guy so my goal is to try to open by December 20 but there's a lot of pieces to that," President of Venice Pier Group Justin Pachota said.
Aside from staff hoping to convince commissioners that Pachota's plan is a good deal, there are several critical pieces to that plan along with the outcome of the commission's meeting.
The park and restaurant were submerged in several feet of water for 14 days when the Myakka River overran its bank because of Hurricane Ian.
With the lease extension request, the Venice Pier Group is hoping for a nod to reopen after it has conducted extensive repairs and made the necessary remediations required to resume food services.
"Clearing out the walls, making sure that everything is safe as far as air space goes," Pachota said. "We got some new equipment for new AC units, we cleaned out some of the old equipment that was still functioning and we've got some new kitchen equipment coming in."
The county was planning upgrades to the park set for around the middle of 2024 before the hurricane hit.
The county was going to keep the park closed until the upgrade could be fast-tracked before the request came from the group's president.
"Their partnership of being willing to step up and help us do that is what is making this possible," said Nicole Rissler, Director of Sarasota Parks, Recreation, and Natural Resources.
"We know Snook Haven Park and the Riverfront Restaurant is a beloved place in Sarasota County, and we have been exploring all options to safely reopen," Rissler said in a press statement. "Venice Pier Group is a valued partner that has served this park since 2013. We look forward to maintaining our long-standing relationship working with them through the transition of the park's reopening."
The current lease set to expire in July 2023 will go on one more year if the board approves an extension.
"That would basically give the community the ability to enjoy food options as well as music for a little while longer hopefully into early 2024," Rissler said.
Sarasota County will give Venice Pier Group credit on its lease payments to cover the cost of repairs.
"After such a devastating storm, we've worked hard with Sarasota County and are happy to come to an agreement that allows us to bring back the Ole' Florida historic beauty to the restaurant while allowing the county to move forward with the scheduled remodel slated for 2024," Pachota said in a statement.
"We are beyond thrilled to share this fantastic news with our community. We've always had a passion for running Snook Haven restaurant and we are grateful to be able to open Snook's doors again very soon."
"It's going to look a little bit different when we reopen but you know as time goes on we're going to try to get it back to the Snook Haven that people remember," he told 10 TampaBay.
Pachota said if things like the supply of materials delays his plan to reopen by Dec. 20, he plans to have the restaurant open at least by the middle of January.
While the park is closed, the boat ramp, the launch, and adjacent parking areas are open to public use.