The Rod & Reel Pier in Anna Maria remains in ruins but its restaurant soon will be back in business.
Oliver “Oli” Lemke, a German brewer and restaurateur and pier owner since December 2023, told The Islander April 1 that the Rod & Reel Pier Restaurant would reopen in the former storefront of the Old Hamburg Schnitzelhaus in the Anna Maria Island Centre shopping plaza at 3246 E. Bay Drive, Holmes Beach.
The pier was damaged by Hurricane Helene in late September but remained standing until Hurricane Milton wiped all but the pilings off the map on Oct. 9.
Lemke recently revisited the island and saw the pier’s ruins for the first time since Milton. He said it was “kind of depressing.”
However, the German brewer said he plans to rebuild the pier with wooden piles but potentially higher than the old pier.
Lemke said the permitting process for reconstruction was set to begin at “any time.”
“There’s a lot of appointments every day trying to get this thing rolling,” he said.
In the meantime, Lemke is shifting the pier restaurant’s operation back in gear.
“The idea is to, first of all, get the staff back to work. Second, to stay on people’s minds and offer the community the same food, drinks and hospitality as we have been doing for many years. Third, to maybe earn a little money with the new location to help finance the rebuild of the pier,” Lemke said.
That process began with his signature on a five-year lease for 3246 E. Bay Drive.
Lemke said the lease should cover the pier’s reconstruction timeline and could be renewed if the location performs well.
He has a tentative goal to reopen the restaurant in four-six weeks, according to Lemke.
He said the interior will be outfitted “very much like it used to be on the pier.”
Lemke noted the restaurant was only part of the former operation, with no need to sell bait without the pier or a waterfront location, but he is excited to bring back pier dining.
“We’re going to start with the same crowd that worked at the pier,” he said. “It’s going to be the same menu and same people.”
People can learn more about the pier on its website, rodreelpier.lemke.berlin.