Anna Maria's Rod and Reel Pier vows to rebuild, raises over $56K

Part of the landscape of Anna Maria Island has vanished, after Rod and Reel Pier blew away completely in Hurricane Milton. Not even two weeks earlier, Hurricane Helene had damaged the wooden platform leading to the eatery at the northern end of the island.

Then, Hurricane Milton “finished what Helene started,” Rod and Reel owner Oliver Lemke says. 

“Seeing the photo of the destruction was one of the most difficult moments of my life,” says Lemke, who tells the Business Observer that he has owned the restaurant for 11 months. After the storm, the building was gone. 

A GoFundMe campaign raising money to rebuild the pier, which launched after Hurricane Helene hit in late September, has raised more than $56,000 as of Oct. 21.

“We’re determined to rebuild the Rod and Reel Pier, but we can’t do it alone,” Lemke says on the GoFundMe page. “There’s no insurance to cover the damage, no big investor to back us up. It’s just us — the community, the visitors, the people who love this place — and we need your help to bring it back.”

Courtesy image

There is “no insurance whatsoever” to cover the loss, Lemke tells the Business Observer. “I really tried hard to change that,” he says, but “unfortunately [it’s] impossible to get insurance on a building like this over water.”

The building at 875 North Shore Drive was valued at $1.16 million, Manatee County property records show.

Due to Rod and Reel's closure, more than 40 employees are out of work, according to Lemke, who says he is in assessment mode right now, gathering information before determining how to proceed.

“This isn’t just about rebuilding a restaurant,” he says. “It’s about restoring a piece of the island’s soul and helping our team of over 40 employees get back on their feet. The pier is more than wood and nails; it’s a gathering place for generations of families, a spot where memories are made. And we want to ensure it continues to be that special place for generations to come.”

More than 600 donations have been made through the GoFundMe page for Rod and Reel as of Oct. 21. Each person who donates $100 or more will be recognized on a wall of honor at the pier, Lemke says, as an “everlasting reminder of the community spirit that made this possible.”