BRADENTON BEACH, Fla. — The Drift-In AMI in Bradenton Beach celebrated its grand reopening Friday after being closed for six months because of damage caused by Hurricane Helene.

It’s a bar that’s been on Anna Maria Island for 100 years. It’s made a comeback after being closed for six months because of damage from last year’s hurricanes.

With each pour, bartender Heather McNeal is making up for lost time, and so are the customers.

“I love the people," McNeal said. "As you can see, everybody is always happy, smiling. We’re like a big family here."

But it was a family she hadn’t seen in six months. After Hurricane Helene’s storm surge forced the Drift-In to shut down, it took months of hard work to reopen.

“Well, we had people lined up down Bridge Street when we opened this morning,” McNeal said.

The establishment is also a piece of history on the island. This year, the bar is celebrating its 100th year of service.

“It is absolutely beautiful. Everything has been made brand new," McNeal said. "This building’s been here since 1925, so there were a lot of upgrades to be made."

McNeal has worked at the Drift-In for years, but while the bar was closed, she said it wasn’t as simple as just finding another job.

“Nobody really took me serious about needing employment," she said. "Everybody pretty much said, ‘Oh, you’re going back to work at the Drift?’ But we had no idea when we’d be open. So it was trying for me. Some friends in town gave me work where they had something available to do. But every day was like holding tight."

Things were a little shaky for a while, but now members of the staff say they are ready to bounce back and lean on each other to get back to normal.

“We missed an entire season, so we are ready,” McNeal said.