'Hardship all around': Pensacola Beach businesses struggling with beach closure

Business at the Dock on Pensacola Beach has slowed down "incredibly" since Hurricane Sally pushed Skanska construction barges into the Pensacola Bay Bridge last month, closing the bridge for six months for repairs.

Now almost six weeks after the hurricane, many beach businesses are dealing with challenges "like we've never seen before," said Terri McKamey, manager of the Dock. The storm put a halt to the beach's hospitality industry, which already had a rocky year because of the coronavirus pandemic.

"I can't put together any events because of COVID," McKamey said. "I could plan a nice event under normal circumstances that would help offset the bridge, maybe. But I can't because of COVID. ... Here at the Dock and at most businesses on Pensacola Beach, we still think social distancing and masks are important."

The dual punches have caused the Dock to cut back its staffing by about 50%, and those who are left are bracing for a very slow winter season with the bridge expected to be out until March 2021.

McKamey said they've seen support from both beach and Gulf Breeze residents but she hopes to get some Pensacola residents as well.

"Come out and spend the day on the beach and then come eat at one of the local restaurants on the beach for dinner. Make it a day," she said. "We promise we'll make the drive worth it."

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Patty Spradling, executive director of the Pensacola Beach Chamber of Commerce, said this time of year is often when locals visit the beach, which helps support the businesses through the off-season. 

Spradling said her organization doesn't have exact figures to show the financial impacts from losing the bridge, but she believes businesses were affected a "significant amount, unfortunately."

To help encourage locals to come back to Pensacola Beach, the chamber is planning a program called INDULGE for the first week of November. A number of Pensacola Beach businesses have signed up to offer deals to visitors from Nov. 1 to 7.

"We started planning INDULGE to bring people back to the beach since our signature events all were forced to cancel. Then Sally hit and and even greater need was made," Spradling said. 

Those interested just have to pick up an event card at the Pensacola Beach Chamber Visitor Information Center.

A second INDULGE week is planned for the first week of February.

One of the businesses involved is Ho2 Pensacola Dolphin Tours, which saw business come to a complete halt following the hurricane. It has taken a financial hit because owner Deandra Holcomb anticipated being operational during the past six weeks.

Many of the company's boats saw little damage, but the marina where it operates was totaled. Now the company has to use a boat ramp to launch its tours.

With COVID-19, her company was marketing to locals who just wanted to get out for the day, and now much of that opportunity is gone as well.

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"We're working for January right now so it's different," Holcomb said. "It's given us an opportunity to sit back and look at what we need to do. We didn't expect to have the opportunity to do that and pre-plan so quickly for next year."

For restaurants Crabs and Flounders, this time of the year is typically big for snowbirds and conventions so there's not usually a lull after the tourism season. Amy Martin, partner,  declined to share the exact drop in revenue but said with the bridge being out, the "loss of business is an understatement."

She said after previous hurricanes and the BP oil spill, people would still come out to the beach afterward, but that's not the case now.

"With it being like it is with the bridge, it's just unheard of. Every business you're getting, you're just trying to get them in the door. And then we're having a hard time getting employees (to commute)," Martin said. "It's just a hardship all around."

Lazy Days Beach Rental Service planned to participate in INDULGE but Hurricane Sally had other plans. The storm closed many of the hotels and now residents aren't going out to the public beaches either so the service is operating only at two private condos.

Ryan Christopher, a co-owner of the service, said the financial affects from Hurricane Sally were dramatic and much worse than the pandemic itself. The company normally shuts down at the end of October but it had planned to be open through November because it lost out on April with the beach closures.

"Next year will be different. March we reopen and I'm sure all the hotels will be open and everybody will be ready to go on vacation again," Christopher said. 

Madison Arnold can be reached at marnold@pnj.com and 850-435-8522.