Popular St. Pete Beach restaurant permanently closes after 35 years due to hurricane damage

'Woody's Waterfront' owners sell property

FOX 13's Jordan Bowen reports on Woody's Waterfront restaurant in St. Pete Beach deciding to shut its doors after 35 years in business due to hurricane damage sustained during Hurricane Helene in October 2024.

ST. PETE BEACH, Fla. - Hurricane Helene didn't just take away the homes of thousands of families. It damaged many businesses along the coast.

It was too much to recover from for one beloved restaurant on St. Pete Beach: Woody's Waterfront.

Woody's Waterfront in St. Pete Beach.

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Woody’s has been in business for more than 35 years.

Owners Roxene Riles and her sister have decided to sell the land and close it permanently due to the extent of the damage from the storm and the high costs of rebuilding it.

Riles was just 13 when her parents opened Woody's Waterfront in St. Pete Beach back in 1988.

"It's definitely different. It was shock at first, but we've gotten used to it slowly. It's sad," Riles said.

Now, it's nearly gutted.

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Nest cam video shows water rushing in over the sea wall during Hurricane Helene. Over five feet of water got inside, destroying windows, tables, chairs, and the kitchen.

For the last four months, Riles and her sister have been crunching the numbers and looking at options, but say, after all, they decided rebuilding just wasn't financially feasible.

Woody's Waterfront in St. Pete Beach gutted from Hurricane Helene.

Woody's Waterfront in St. Pete Beach was gutted by Hurricane Helene.

"Tried to get some estimates in. Over the past six months, I've been working with the engineers and everything else to see what we can and can't do, and it was devastating at first," Riles said. "We got a lot of outreach from people who have been here forever. They've known us forever."

The restaurant even got a shout-out on Live with Kelly and Mark back in September. Riles, too, has some unforgettable memories at Woody's, which she says she'll always cherish.

"I got engaged here. I met my husband here. You know, my children were here. Every year we come, and it's just a staple in their lives," Riles said.

While almost everything inside was destroyed, pictures and Steelers memorabilia from Riles's hometown of Pittsburgh, which was above the water line, remain.

Dozens of pictures remain mounted to the ceiling, capturing staff and Riles's family over the years.

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Woody's Waterfront in St. Pete Beach was gutted by Hurricane Helene.

"We kind of made a decision that it was just time. We figured it just was time for somebody else to go ahead and have fun here and make it their own," Riles said.

Riles said that if they were to rebuild because of new regulations, they would have to build up, meaning they could not have the restaurant on the first floor like before.

"It would have to be on the second story. They say that greatly contributed to their decision to sell the land."

As for their 23 employees, they say most have been to find new work elsewhere.

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