MANATEE COUNTY, Fla. — The impacts of Hurricane Milton were dramatic on many local businesses, including an iconic Manatee County spot.

The Rod and Reel Pier still has a long road to recovery, but the restaurant that was on the pier has found a temporary home.

The Rod and Reel Pier announced its temporary location for its restaurant.

The new spot will be where the “Old Hamburg Schnitzelhaus” in Holmes Beach used to be.

The Rod and Reel Pier was washed away by the power of Hurricane Milton. But its memories live on.

Rod and Reel Pier owner Oliver Lemke said the messages remind him of how much it means to people — and it means a lot to him, too, which is why he’s working on getting the permits needed to start rebuilding.

“It’s been there since 1947. Either you give up, which is not an option, or you go in there full speed and get it back. That’s what we decided to do,” he said.

Lemke hopes to restore the Rod and Reel Pier, but in the meantime, he decided to reopen the restaurant that was on the pier in a temporary spot: the “Old Hamburg Schnitzelhaus” in Holmes Beach.

“It’s a small space. It’s a 1,500-square-foot room, roughly. And we’re going to do a lot of work to it,” he said.

It’s work that’s worth it.

With an anticipated opening next month, Lemke said they’ll be able to bring in money and rehire some of the employees.

“The first thing is to, you know, get work for everybody again,” Lemke said. “Because some of the employees have been with the company for like 20 years.

“Second thing, you know, get some revenue out of this because, as I said, the rebuilding of the pier is going to cost a lot of money. And so, remember, when you come up here, every dime you spend is going to go into the rebuilding of the pier.”

Moving into this temporary space has Lemke moving in the right direction in the rebuilding process.

The owner says they are actively working on getting the permits in order, and there is still no date set for when construction will begin on the pier.