ANNA MARIA ISLAND, Fla. — Bay Area residents continue to clean up and rebuild after back-to-back hurricanes.
What you need to know
Some Anna Maria Island business owners say they are still feeling the effects of hurricanes Helen and Milton.
Part of the reason, they say, is the slow tourism season due to the hurricanes.
Cool Beans AMI coffee shop owner says he lost 90% of his inventory and equipment in the storm.
Anna Maria Island is starting to look like it did before the storm, but some business owners struggling to get their businesses back on track say appearances can be deceiving.
More businesses are reopening after the storm, but they face an additional hurdle to overcome: a lack of customers.
It may seem like business as usual at Cool Beans AMI Coffee Shop, but that hasn’t been the case since it reopened a month after Hurricane Milton, Morgan Bryant said.
She said she lost 90% of her inventory and equipment and has had to weather the downturn in the tourist season.
“Business has been pretty tough,” she said. “People are rebuilding. People aren’t coming as much as they used to. Many people have canceled trips due to fear, but we still see a lot of misinformation circulating on social media. .”
Although the store is seeing customers, Bryant said it’s not enough, and she worries she may have to close if nothing changes.
“That’s a concern. Obviously you need customers to do business,” she said.
She is a single mother of two, with a newborn as of last month. She is worried about her income.
“The question is how long will it take for everyone to come back? How long will it take for vacation rentals to come back?” she said.
Bryant said she plans to use a small business loan to help with expenses.
A GoFundMe page has also been created to help her business recover.
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