The Rod and Reel Pier restaurant reopening on Holmes Beach after storm destruction

HOLMES BEACH, Fla. - The Rod and Reel Restaurant and Pier was a landmark on Anna Maria Island, until Hurricane Milton washed it away last year. 

The backstory:

Now, employees are adding the finishing touches as it gets ready to reopen at a new location. 

The Rod and Reel will open for service at a plaza on Holmes Beach this Friday. 

It's the first step in a plan to one day rebuild the Rod and Reel Pier. 

The sign remains and so do all the memories of the Rod and Reel Pier. 

What they're saying:

While Hurricane Milton washed away the pier's physical structure, Owner Oliver Lemke has kept its spirit thriving. 

"It's a lifetime dream for me to have a business here in the states, and it was a big blow after only having it 10 months. It’s not my nature to back down. As I promised, I’m doing everything to rebuild the pier and I still stand to that," Lemke told FOX 13. 

You can now find the Rod and Reel on Holmes Beach. 

Stepping inside, the water is missing, but Lemke has transformed the restaurant space to make customers feel back at the pier. 

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"I hope and know they will find everything that they did find at the pier except for the water. It will be great atmosphere, great food, great drinks, great service. I very much hope, and we all hope that people are going to come here for all those other things," he said. 

A painted mural shows a street view outside the pier. 

A livestream camera will give guests the Gulf view of where the pier once stood. 

There are plenty of photos of the good times and items that washed ashore following the storms. 

Why you should care:

The Rod and Reel will be open seven days a week for breakfast, lunch and dinner. You’ll be able to find all your old favorites on the menu and most of the familiar faces from the pier.

"It's been a process, an ordeal, a long year, but we are excited to be here and getting ready to open," said Adina Vasquez, manager of the Rod and Reel. 

It's only the beginning of their future. 

"It's to get us back out there, so it’s steppingstones," Vasquez said. 

In hopes to get them back to where it all started. 

"This restaurant is the first step on the way back to the pier. It’ll let us stay in contact with the community, it’ll raise a little bit of money, so we keep our staff together. Obviously, it will take us two years to get the pier back. If we didn’t do anything, everybody would be gone. They might have forgotten about the pier," Lemke said. 

What's next:

The Rod and Reel is located at 3246 East Bay Drive in Holmes Beach. 

Their opening day will be on Friday, Nov. 21 at 8 a.m. 

For more information, visit their website here.