When Hurricanes Helene and Milton arrived in the fall of 2024, they didn’t just damage Caddy’s Treasure Island. They buried it. Storm surge smashed through the bottom floor and left a layer of sand three to four feet deep. Four bars were either destroyed or simply gone. Walls and floors needed to be replaced. The building, which dates back to the 1950s, took a beating that would have finished many restaurants for good.
For more than a year, the team operated out of a tent and a food truck under a city ordinance that made limited beachside service possible while reconstruction happened inside. People sat on benches, ordered drinks, and watched sunsets from the sand. It was better than nothing, but it wasn’t really Caddy’s, and the regulars who love this place felt that.
Now it is. The fully renovated ground floor and second floor patio are both back and open for business, which means the sunsets that made this place a local favorite are once again framed the way they should be. There’s something different about watching the Gulf go orange from a proper second floor patio versus a folding chair on the sand. The experience has earned its reputation back…