NORTH REDINGTON BEACH — Sharon Russell sits at her usual table at the Frog Pond, debating between the waffles with strawberries and her true favorite — French onion soup.
Three blocks away, Rick Ricart is rebuilding his hurricane-damaged home while living in Lakeland, but he still makes the drive for breakfast at the North Redington Beach restaurant.
Both are among the loyal customers who helped save the 43-year-old institution with an extraordinary act of faith: lending money to a former dishwasher who refused to let their beloved gathering place die…