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Former dishwasher buys Frog Pond Café
A year after Hurricane Helene forced the closure of the Frog Pond Café in North Redington Beach, a longtime employee has taken ownership of the decades-old staple. FOX 13’s Jennifer Kveglis reports.
NORTH REDINGTON BEACH, Fla. - The Frog Pond Café, a 43-year-old staple on North Redington Beach, is reopening its doors after sustaining catastrophic flooding during Hurricane Helene last year.
Five feet of storm surge broke through the restaurant’s windows, destroying equipment and filling the building with sand and debris.
Now, longtime employee Luciano LaRocca has taken over ownership. LaRocca, who began washing dishes at the café’s St. Pete Beach location when he was 19, says he was determined to keep the restaurant alive after the original owners retired following the storm.
The backstory:
The Frog Pond has been part of the community for more than 40 years, known for its eclectic collection of frog figurines and keepsakes donated by patrons. Walls and shelves are filled with everything from drawings and menus to gifts brought from around the world.
For LaRocca, who spent 11 years working at the café, the restaurant has always been more than just a workplace.
"It’s my work family," he said.
LaRocca said it wouldn’t have been possible without Sharon Russell, Rick and Amy Ricart,
Matt and Kerry Humphriville, Maria Shipley, Ellen Nixon, Jacob and Nate Ellison, Anthony, Reyes Oviedo, Mariam Bakhtyari, Jacquelyn Ellison, Luis Peralta, and everyone who donated to the GoFundMe.
What they're saying:
"It was devastating… but because of the community, I just can’t even explain the feeling of being able to serve them again," LaRocca said.
"If you met Luciano and the staff there, you would see it’s not like any other restaurant, they really just make you feel like you’re family," Rick Ricart, patron and donor, said.
What's next:
The Frog Pond Café is celebrating its grand reopening this past weekend. Most of the original staff have returned, and yes, the famous frog figurines survived the storm and are back on display.
The café will be open daily from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.
The Source: This story is based on reporting from FOX 13’s Jennifer Kveglis, who spoke with owner Luciano LaRocca, longtime patrons, and staff about the reopening of The Frog Pond Café following Hurricane Helene.