Riviera Bar and Grill reopens within days of hurricanes Helene, Milton

A gargantuan effort from owners and staff allowed the Riviera Bar and Grill to reopen less than a week after two hurricanes flooded the Punta Gorda waterfront restaurant that has been around since the 1950s.

Two of the four owners — Ronnie and Joe Pocklington — rolled up their sleeves after Hurricane Helene and reopened in just five days, Ronnie Pocklington said.

What attracts people to their restaurant is the very thing that puts it in harm's way, as the restaurant was built next to Alligator Creek where patrons enjoy sweeping views of the waterway and the boats going by.

In late September, the storm surge from Helene flooded the restaurant. "We lost a lot of equipment," Ronnie Pocklington said.