Beloved Holmes Beach shopping center to celebrate its grand reopening

MANATEE COUNTY, Fla. — Jennifer Moore is the proud owner of Sun and Surf, a beach shop that has been a family staple since 1983.

“I grew up here,” Moore recalls. “At 11, I’d spend my afternoons in the store, working on small projects.” Today, she hopes to pass that same family legacy on to her children.

However, the storm left her wondering if the shop could bounce back. Hurricane Helene inundated her store with roughly four feet of water, wreaking havoc and damaging almost everything inside.

“I knew recovery was going to be a challenge,” Moore admits, reflecting on the loss caused by the storm. Yet through perseverance and hard work, she was able to make repairs, reopening her store just last month.

“We were closed for eight months. It was extremely difficult, but we powered through it. In the end, we conquered it all,” she expressed. “It was a transformative experience, making us stronger and hopefully better. It felt like we all received an upgrade at once.”

As other stores in the Island Shopping Center began reopening, Moore took the initiative to organize a grand reopening celebration for all shops in the plaza, scheduled for Friday, June 6, from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. This event aims to showcase the resilience of local businesses and reassure shoppers that they are open and ready for business.

“This plaza feels like a second home; I come here every day,” she shared. “It’s a place where I grew up and where my children are now growing up, too. The way our community has come together after the storms is truly heartwarming.”

With a renewed spirit, Moore is ready to embark on this new chapter, fostering a sense of community and resilience as she steps forward from the rebuilding process.