FORT MYERS BEACH, Fla. — A restaurant destroyed by Hurricane Ian is going mobile to avoid the flood zone and stay open for business.
La Ola Surfside Restaurant was using shipping containers but was cited by the Fort Myers Beach government for operating in a FEMA flood zone.
La Ola's owner Tom Houghton said he was originally given the green light from beach leaders to bring the containers down from Oklahoma.
“With the shipping containers, it allowed me to be on the ground, whereas the state of Florida doesn't license mobile bars,” said Houghton.
Due to FEMA regulations relating to flood zones, the restaurant was cited for the shipping containers they are using as a makeshift building in Time Square. Those regulations say the containers need to be mobile in case of a storm that would require them to evacuate.
“So now we are at a point where we’re putting them on wheels and then hoping that the state will still license it with the bar,” said Houghton.
On Tuesday, Houghton told Fox 4 he decided to put the shipping containers on trailers to be mobile to avoid closing.
Early Tuesday morning, cranes were being used to lift the shipping containers onto the trailers, in hopes of being open by happy hour Tuesday night.
Decking stairs and railing systems were built so customers and employees could get into the containers.
