Grove Surf and Coffee in St. Pete Beach reopened its doors Tuesday, nine months after Hurricane Helene brought nearly three feet of floodwater into the shop.
“It was devastating,” said co-owner Lindsey Gottschling, who runs the shop with her husband, Peter. “We’ve been at this location for five years—it was our heart and soul. To show up and see so much damage overnight was shocking.”
The storm destroyed much of the shop’s unique decor, including custom-made displays and personal family artifacts. “So many pieces of us were just gone, covered in water. It was a hard pill to swallow,” Lindsey added.
Rebuilding wasn’t immediate. Permit delays forced the Gottschlings to wait until spring to begin repairs—a difficult setback for a business that depends on seasonal traffic.
“Spring is the most important time for beach businesses,” Peter said. “Missing the holidays was hard, but missing spring—that really hurt.”
Just three months before the storm, the couple had opened a second location in Indian Rocks Beach. That shop also flooded, but with only six inches of water, it was able to reopen much sooner.
Despite the challenges, the Gottschlings are grateful to be back. Grove Surf and Coffee is once again serving the community, rebuilt with resilience and ready for summer.
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