Employees at two popular Gulf Boulevard hotels are facing an even longer wait to return to work than expected.

The Bellwether Beach Resort and The Beachcomber, both severely damaged by Hurricane Helene, are now projected to remain closed until summer.

“It’s pretty devastating,” said Bill Pruitt, a longtime bartender at Jimmy B’s, the Beachcomber’s bar, where he has worked for 25 years.

Pruitt described what has kept him at his job for so long in one simple way:

“It’s a really fun place,” he said. “It’s a fun atmosphere.”

Jimmy B’s, known for its lively entertainment, offers live music day and night across three bars when open.

“People come from all over the world, whether they’re hotel guests or locals,” Pruitt said. “It brings in a huge local crowd. It’s just been a great place to work.”

Hurricane Helene abruptly halted that fun in September. Pruitt initially expected the bar to reopen by mid- to late-December, but those plans kept shifting.

“Just a week before Christmas, we were told, ‘We don’t know when we’re opening,’” he said.

According to Pruitt, the latest update indicates the Beachcomber may not reopen until July. With his unemployment benefits running out in December, he has applied for disaster unemployment assistance but has yet to receive any payments.

“No matter how much you save, you don’t plan to be out of work for ten months,” he said.

Pyramid Global Hospitality, which owns both the Beachcomber and Bellwether, recently filed a WARN notice listing July 1 as the reopening date for Bellwether.

Shaun Kwiatkowski, Bellwether’s managing director, acknowledged the difficult recovery process.

“Like so many of our friends and neighbors, Bellwether Beach Resort & The Beachcomber were severely impacted by Hurricanes Helene and Milton,” Kwiatkowski said in a statement. “The significant damage has led to delays in reopening, and we deeply regret the impact on our associates. Our goal is to welcome them—and our guests—back as soon as possible.”

He added that the hotels have been providing support through food drives, employment assistance, extended healthcare benefits, and other initiatives.

Robin Miller, interim CEO of the Tampa Bay Beaches Chamber of Commerce, said the chamber has been tracking recovery efforts across the beaches, including the struggles faced by these two hotels.

“Not overwhelmingly shocking,” Miller said of the extended furloughs. “But it is disappointing and heartbreaking to hear these stories and the struggles businesses are facing to reopen.”

Challenges such as supply shortages and staffing difficulties have slowed recovery, but Miller noted that significant progress has been made on the barrier islands.

“Everyone is working hard to get businesses back online because it’s a community effort,” she said. “Businesses need residents to support them when they reopen.”

While waiting for the Beachcomber to resume operations, Pruitt is searching for work—though he says it’s been difficult. He also believes the hotels could have planned better for employees.

“There was plenty of time to figure out a way to get the bars open sooner,” he said. “If liability was an issue, why wasn’t that known months ago? Why wasn’t there a continuity of operations plan in place?”

He emphasized the urgent need for solutions, adding, “At the start, the priority was getting everyone back to work as soon as possible. Not everyone has money saved for this long. It’s been really tough—now, it’s getting really bad.”

According to Jessica Milton, corporate director of public relations for Benchmark Pyramid Luxury & Lifestyle, the furloughs have affected 107 employees at the Bellwether and 51 at The Beachcomber.

Follow the St. Pete-Clearwater Sun on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, Google, & X

(Image credit: Spectrum News/Sarah Blazonis)