‘We are back!’: Popular Daytona Beach Shores restaurant reopens nearly 2 years after Hurricane Ian

DAYTONA BEACH SHORES, Fla. — It’s been a long time coming.

Nearly two years after a hurricane caused major damage to a beloved local restaurant and the pier it stood on, Crabby Joe’s reopened its doors Tuesday morning in Daytona Beach Shores.

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Hurricane Ian wreaked havoc on the Sunglow Pier, eventually washing away part of the wooden structure.

The pier, which stood for decades, could not withstand the winds and surf that pummeled it in late September 2022.

A Channel 9 viewer shared cell phone video, as seen below, of the structure being swallowed by rough waters.

Hurricane Ian: Video shows rough seas washing away part of the Daytona Beach Sunglow Pier (Mark Bessette)

In the storm’s aftermath, the popular restaurant and its customers were left wondering if Crabby Joe’s would be able to recover.

PREVIOUS: ‘Washed away in an instant’: Daytona Beach Shores restaurant swept away by Hurricane Ian

But it soon became apparent that the owner was determined to rebuild.

Support from staff and the community were obvious. But it would take some time.

Former patrons, old and new, followed progress at Crabby Joe’s thorough social media updates that showed gradual reconstruction of the eatery and Sunglow Pier.

On Tuesday, anxious patrons were finally able to get a look inside without having to scroll through images on their phones.

At 8 a.m., staff welcomed the first customers to cheers.

Crabby Joe’s shared those moments live on its Facebook page.

Hurricane Ian may have all but destroyed the restaurant’s walls and foundation, but it couldn’t destroy Crabby Joe’s spirit.

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Channel 9′s Demie Johnson is catching up with staff at Crabby Joe’s and will give you a look inside the renovated restaurant beginning at 4 p.m. on Eyewitness News.

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