Shops in Tampa Bay remained open for hours before Helene struck. Why?

Before Hurricane Helene hit Tampa Bay’s barrier islands on Thursday, general manager Jeff Hickman unlocked the doors to The Shipwreck on Clearwater Beach.

That evening, he ushered the last three customers — Clearwater Beach residents weathering the storm with a cocktail or two — out the door as the wind picked up and waves from the Gulf of Mexico hit the streets. Hours later, he forced open the door of his car amid the rushing water, his 10-year-old Chihuahua, Nacho, in his arms.

His car stopped and floated down Mandalay Avenue. He called 911. From the window, Hickman saw the Sandpearl Resort. He threw himself waist-deep into the water, his cell phone still pressed to his ear. Holding Nacho above his head, he began wading and eventually sought refuge in the Sandpearl for the night.

“Everyone will say, ‘They should have evacuated,'” Hickman said. “We are in (evacuation) zone A and everyone should be gone. But obviously a lot of people are staying.”

From Clearwater Beach to Treasure Island to Tampa’s Channel District, at least eight bars and restaurants in or near mandatory evacuation zones remained open Thursday, sometimes late into the night.

In Pinellas County, businesses were advised by the Department of Economic Development to follow mandatory evacuation orders and close by noon Thursday. In Hillsborough County, the evacuation orders probably also apply to businesses, a county spokesman said.

Hickman asked his eight-person staff to stay home on Thursday. But The Shipwreck had never closed during tropical storms in the past and had not experienced flooding in more than 25 years.

The bar wears its status as a refuge in bad weather like a “badge of honor,” he said.

So he came in.

The worst storm Tampa Bay has seen in more than a century could change that mood next time, he said.

The next morning the bar was still flooded. On Monday, a foot-thick layer of dirt covered the ground. Reopening will take weeks, if not months.

Other business owners pointed to their reputation for remaining open as a community venue even as storms approach. Sheila Smith, owner of Southside Coffee Brew Bar in St. Petersburg’s Big Bayou neighborhood, is operating next to an evacuation zone.

The cafe was open until 1pm on Thursday and had a steady flow of customers. At other bottlenecks in Tampa Bay, it remained open even as floodwaters crept over surrounding streets, Smith said.

“We never close,” Smith said. “I’ve been here for 10 years. “Everyone come in before hunkering down for the storm.”

Smith said she had at least three volunteers working with her on Thursday. The store was spared Friday morning. The lights came on. Neighbors without power, some of whom had lost their belongings to flooding, lined up in the parking lot.

Catch up on top stories before rush hour

Become a Times subscriber to receive our afternoon newsletter, The Rundown

Every weekday we will break down Tampa Bay’s most important environmental, political, economic, educational and cultural news stories.

You are all registered!

Want more of our free weekly newsletters in your inbox? Let’s get started.

Discover all your options

Some businesses choose to stay open during storms because of community ties, said Robert Pierce, business consultant for Hillsborough County Economic Development. At Craft Kafe in downtown St. Petersburg, baristas handed out free coffee Thursday and Friday to first responders staying at a nearby hotel, owner Teddy Skiadiotis said.

La La’s Sangria Bar, in a mandatory evacuation zone in Tampa’s Channel District, stayed open until 3 a.m. when Helene stopped by. “Stay safe but we are open to the neighborhood,” an Instagram post said. A block away, the streets were flooded. Residents who had not evacuated the apartment complex above continued to stream in throughout the night, said owner John English.

For Uptown Eats in St. Petersburg, money was another factor. This summer has been even rougher for small businesses than last year, when many struggled to generate enough revenue, said owner Dan Schmidt. The café was open until Thursday lunchtime.

“We need the revenue,” he said. “And then I talked to the staff and they need the hours.”

Business owners and managers who spoke to the Tampa Bay Times echoed the same sentiment: No employee was forced to come in. Some, like Hickman and Anthony Roman of Hawthorne Bottle Shoppe, were working alone in their bars Thursday.

But providing a work option is a problem, said Chris Wilkerson, a spokesman for Hillsborough County. He said employees could choose wages over safe evacuation.

“They ask her to come over for the lunch shift on Thursday. Maybe you close just in time before the storm hits, and that benefits you as a business owner,” Wilkerson said. “All of your employees did not perform according to plan. They couldn’t evacuate. You may not be financially able to leave the company.

The Shipwreck wasn’t the only bar on Pinellas County’s barrier islands that stayed open — only to face destruction within hours. Ka’Tiki, a live music bar on Treasure Island, announced it will stay open until 6 p.m. on Thursday.

Days later, images emerged of the bar surrounded by piles of sand, tables and tree branches thrown haphazardly nearby. “Closed until further notice,” the company said.

“On the bright side, the bar is still standing!” one commenter responded.