ANNA MARIA ISLAND, Fla. -- There was barely a seat in sight Sunday morning at Anna Maria Oyster Bar, as local business owners and loyal customers packed the waterfront restaurant.
- Red tide has caused business to slow
- Business owners hope the bars and restaurants bounce back
- Anna Maria Island is starting to clear up
Some of the brunch goers were invited personally by managing partners Lynn and John Horne.
The brothers wanted to show others that despite a tough few weeks in the area from red tide, Anna Maria Island is starting to clear up.
"Yeah, red tide was here and we"ve had some problems, but its good now," Lynn Horne said.
Red tide is patchy and often hard to predict. On Sunday morning, just a few dead fish were seen floating by the pier on Bridge Street by the oyster bar. The smell was much better than what the island experienced last weekend.
According to the daily beach conditions report by Mote Marine Laboratory, there were reports of only mild respiratory irritation in Bradenton Beach on Sunday.
"The wind blows and it"ll change, everyday it changes," Lynn Horne said.
This is historically the slowest time of year for businesses on Anna Maria Island, due to the lack of tourists. But this August proved to be even slower because of the red tide bloom that kept even locals away.
"The bars and restaurants here on Bridge Street, they"re going to bounce back," Lynn Horne said.
To do that, they"ll need their customers back.
These brothers want their community know that Anna Maria Island is doing better, and open for business.