The Columbia Restaurant is known for its 1905 salad and its offering of Spanish and Cuban dishes. Many of its locations around Tampa Bay had to close after Hurricanes Helene and Milton hit within two weeks of each other.
But Andrea Gonzmart Williams, fifth generation caretaker of the Columbia Restaurants, tells WUSF's Kerry Sheridan that a plan to reopen is taking shape.
The St. Armand's Circle location has been closed since Helene hit on Sept. 26. What kind of damage did you get from that storm?
GONZMART WILLIAMS: "We took on about three to four feet of water. So we lost all of our equipment, we lost all of our product. We lost most of our chairs and things like that, and drywall. So we've been working very, very hard at getting that restaurant restored."
So the first damage this season really came from Helene, which flooded the whole St. Armand's Circle area. And Hurricane Milton followed.
GONZMART WILLIAMS: "Yeah, it was crazy seeing the pictures of refrigerators that were floating on top of other things. It's just -- it's hard to fathom that the water could move these heavy pieces of equipment like they did, and there was salt water and all this yuckiness. And so there's no salvaging that. But that's okay. We've got great partners that are helping us get all the equipment that we need."
"The good news is when Milton decided to come, we were at a really good stopping point, and so we didn't lose any more time than we already had, because we hadn't re-drywalled yet. So everything just had to dry out, and now we can continue the restoration process there."
And what about other Columbia Restaurant locations in Ybor City and Sand Key, near Clearwater Beach?
GONZMART WILLIAMS: "When it comes to my Tampa restaurants, outside of losing power, we had no damage. We're so fortunate. So once the restaurants regained power for Helene and Milton, we were able to open."
Tell me about your staff. I imagine some of them are out of work and may have to seek other work in the meantime. Are some of them helping with the cleanup?
GONZMART WILLIAMS: "Absolutely. It's all hands on deck, our general managers, our assistant managers, our chefs. We love to be able to bring employees on so we can pay them extra, because if we're already giving them some kind of compensation, we'll give them a little extra for coming in and helping people want to come in after a storm. They don't want to be cooped up at home. Yesterday, when I walked the restaurants, everyone was just so happy to not be at home, and some of them don't have power, so they were even happier to be in air conditioning.
"It was very Irma-esque to me, this Milton hurricane, because (Hurricane) Irma (in 2017) was supposed to be that direct hit, and then it took that turn. But Milton really kept us really scared. And if anything, through all these other smaller hurricanes, it's taught us how to manage our staff, make sure that we're conscious of them, allowing them not staying open until the very last minute, closing so they can go home and they can deal with their personal things when we could have stayed open. It's that compassion that's so important.
"We're still navigating how we're going to be compensating our employees who weren't working, who weren't getting paid. We can't leave them like that. Some of them, like for Sarasota, they're going to end up being probably closed for four weeks, and you can't just not pay people for four weeks. So as a company and as a family, you know, they are family, and so we have to make sure that they're taken care of."
How do these past couple of weeks compare to storms you've seen over the years in the Sarasota location specifically, where you have the Columbia Restaurant and you also own ChaCha Coconuts next door?
GONZMART WILLIAMS: "Helene was the first time that we were closed for an extended period of time in both of those restaurants there. It's horrible to say, they're used to taking on water, and so we have very minimal drywall in that restaurant, which allows us to reopen sometimes within 24 hours of having flooding. We've never had flooding to this level, in Helene, being that it made refrigerators float. So flooding is something we're used to there and that we can really manage, but something like this? This is the first time for us. "
You're in these popular tourist locations, right near the water in some areas and they flood again and again. Ever thought about leaving the area?
GONZMART WILLIAMS: "We would never leave where we are. I mean, we're the oldest restaurant in the state of Florida, here in Ybor City. It's what we do. It's the only thing I know. Columbia Restaurant is home to me. All my restaurants are home and and so it is the only, like I said, the only thing I know how to do. So, no."
And do you think the restaurants will be able survive this? It has to be a big financial blow to overcome.
GONZMART WILLIAMS: "We are very strong company. We are very fiscally responsible, and because we have restaurants and other locations that are still having sales and bringing in money. Yes, is our bottom line, going to be affected significantly, without a doubt, but I have full confidence that we will completely rebound from this.
"Even though it was a bad experience my team, it is amazing how well they have come together and how everyone kind of knows their job and what they're in charge of doing. And with every experience like this, I truly think it just brings us closer together."
This conversation has been lightly edited for length and clarity.
