Combined losses from Helene and Milton are expected to exceed $1 billion in Sarasota and Manatee counties, with a popular restaurant on the Bradenton Riverwalk now permanently closed after sustaining major hurricane damage.
The recently renovated, iconic downtown Bradenton restaurant Pier 22, located on the Manatee River at the west end of the city’s Riverwalk, reopened after Hurricane Milton with minimal damage. Meanwhile, Mattison’s Riverwalk restaurant reopened on Oct. 18, and I have enjoyed excellent dining experiences at both in recent days.
Unfortunately, Caddy’s Bradenton Riverwalk location, which hugs the water about a mile and a half east of Pier 22 near Tarpon Pointe Marina, sustained major damage from Milton — which neighbors informed me they believed was from a tornado that spun off during the hurricane — including a collapsed tiki hut that covered one of the restaurant’s two bars.
This morning (Oct. 22), I visited Caddy’s shortly after sunrise to find the collapsed tiki hut and bar had been removed, its remains piled nearby, with years of good times there reduced to memories and photos floating around social media.
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Caddy’s Bradenton listed as ‘permanently closed’ by St. Pete-based owners
On Caddy’s official website, caddys.com, when visitors click on its flagship restaurant on Treasure Island, as well as its locations on Madeira Beach, Indian Shores, and John’s Pass, a message pops up reading: “Due to storm, this location has been temporarily closed.”
However, when you click on Caddy’s Bradenton, the message reads: “This location has been permanently closed.” Multiple emails were sent to Caddy’s management team on Oct. 17, with no response as of Oct. 22.
On Oct. 17, Fox Weather reported on the damage sustained by Treasure Island in Pinellas County, just across the Sunshine Skyway Bridge from Bradenton. “It’s a kick in the gut having two storms back-to-back,” Caddy’s CEO Randy Esponda told FOX Weather’s Robert Ray. “We’re resilient and happy as can be that the building is intact.”
Esponda did not comment on his company’s other Caddy’s locations, including the Bradenton Riverwalk one at 801 Riverside Drive East, now listed as “permanently closed.” In addition, Caddy’s Bradenton’s official Facebook page — facebook.com/Caddysbradenton — is no longer available, with Facebook informing visitors: “This content isn’t available right now. When this happens, it’s usually because the owner only shared it with a small group of people, changed who can see it, or it’s been deleted.”
Caddy’s is part of the SunPubs restaurant group based in St. Petersburg. They did not immediately respond to a phone message or email.
Fond memories of Caddy’s Bradenton, which opened on St. Patrick’s Day 2017
Located just east of Manatee Memorial Hospital, where the Riverwalk East extension meets the original 1.5-mile pathway, Caddy’s featured two fully stocked tiki bars, its own white-sand beach, lots of TVs showing sports, and an extensive menu of burgers, sandwiches and seafood. In 2022, I noted Caddy’s was one of the essential stops along the Riverwalk.
Originally named Caddy’s at the Pointe, it opened on St. Patrick’s Day 2017, and my wife, Kristin, and I made our inaugural visit the following Saturday afternoon. We approached from the western entrance of Bradenton Riverwalk, walking east, and could see the familiar chickee structure, tall palm trees, white sand, and the open-air building that housed the main dining area and kitchen.
We arrived to find children playing corn toss and soccer in the powdery white sand, along with lots of smiling faces.
Except for a new paint job and the addition of comfy Adirondack-style chairs, the waterfront playground setting remained similar to that of Tarpon Pointe Grill & Tiki Bar, which occupied the same gorgeous location before closing about a year prior.
“Throw Tarpon Pointe in the water,” the Caddy’s manager said with a smile to Kristin and me shortly after we were seated at the covered inside bar overlooking the water.
I recalled the long wait for food under the previous ownership but was told not to worry, as the kitchen had been expanded.
During that first visit, we ordered jalapeno poppers, a burger, and a fried chicken sandwich. There was a crowd, but our food arrived much quicker than I expected. The burger and jalapeno poppers were fine, while the tender, smartly seasoned fried chicken sandwich featured “Cajun slaw” and honey mustard, offering a nice sweet/heat combo.
Caddy’s served a bunch of beachy specialty cocktails as well as classics like the rum runner, piña colada, and margarita. We stuck to ice-cold draft beers, which included offerings from Sarasota-founded JDub’s Brewing Company. I wrote in 2017 that I would definitely be returning to Caddy’s, and we did, numerous times.
Caddy’s offered a true beach bar experience, complete with white sand and dolphin sightings in the wide Manatee River near the mouth of Tampa Bay, without having to actually drive to the nearest beach on Anna Maria Island, about nine miles away.
Yeah, Caddy’s will be missed, and it sure was sad seeing a pile of debris this morning where one of my favorite tiki bars used to stand. Here’s hoping another restaurant and bar takes its place, maybe even in time for tourist season, when that nine-mile drive to the beach can take an hour — or two.
Wade Tatangelo is Ticket Editor for the Sarasota Herald-Tribune, and Florida Regional Dining and Entertainment Editor for the USA TODAY Network. Follow him onTwitter, Facebook and Instagram. He can be reached by email at wade.tatangelo@heraldtribune.com.
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Caddy’s Bradenton permanently closed, tiki hut destroyed by hurricane
