Hundreds of people gathered yesterday (October 16th) to provide help for Pine Island and Cape Coral restaurants. More specifically for restaurant employees who have been out of work since Hurricane Ian hit on September 28th. For many, there is still no ETA on when their jobs will return. Last Sunday (October 9th) a large group gathered in the parking lot of The Bridge Plaza in Fort Myers, raising money for employees of Cibo. The popular Italian restaurant lost part of the roof in Hurricane Ian.
It was at that event that Jay Johnson, owner of Bubba’s Roadhouse & Saloon showed up to help. He manned a grill in the hot sun despite the fact that he still needed to clean up and repair his restaurant on Pine Island Road in Cape Coral. His employees are out of work as well. Observing how selfless he was, several friends decided to return the favor and help Jay next.
Help for Pine Island too
Jay’s father owns the iconic Bert’s Bar on Matlacha. It was devastated by the storm. Naturally, Bert’s employees were also included in the benefit.
Wolfgang Nester (R) and his son Sebastian walk amongst the wreckage on Matlacha, left in the wake of Hurricane Ian.
Back in the day, Bert’s was known to keep a door open for shrimpers, even after the bar closed. When a boat came in, the crew would help themselves to a beer or two and leave their money on the bar. The honor system. Bert’s is a mainstay of the island and locals hope the bar will be rebuilt.
There are additional benefits planned for Fort Myers Beach, Sanibel and Captiva restaurant workers. The hope in putting these events together is not only to help those out of work but also to inspire others. There are so many ways to lend a hand in Hurricane Ian recovery and support our neighbors. Help for Pine Island and Cape Coral restaurants is just one way for the community to come together. For more on the event, check out my story in The NewsPress. Here are a few photos.
