PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. — It's Cinco de Mayo, and that means Mexican restaurants are filling up with people who are ready to celebrate!
After the hurricanes, some restaurant owners are just thankful to be open for the special occasion.
WATCH: Restaurants destroyed by Hurricane Helene celebrate being open for Cinco de Mayo
Dana Doty has spent every Cinco de Mayo for the last eight years at VIP Mexican-American Cuisine on Treasure Island.
"I come here all of the time, its family opened and operated. I love it," said Doty.
But this year, she was unsure if her favorite restaurant would be open.
"It was so devastating to see what they had gone through, and it's so great to see them bounce back from what they've overcome," said Doty.
Hurricane Helene flooded the restaurant and it had to undergo significant repairs.
"Back in January and December, we did not know whether or not we would be able to be open for Cinco de Mayo. We had no idea and we plowed through it and we are here. It's crazy. It's a little emotional for me," said Nick Rapisardi, owner of VIP Mexican-American Cuisine.
This Cinco de Mayo, Rapisardi is grateful.
"When storms come through, we're just like 'ah, it's going to be fine,' because we've been lucky up until this point…but now we realize it could have been even worse," he said.
The restaurant reopened in March; soon after, regulars began reappearing.
"You want to support the local businesses…some of them are still not back open…or maybe not even going to open again," said Joe Meyer, a regular customer at the restaurant.
Now, this Cinco de Mayo, the restaurant is filled with music and people.
"It reminds us of why we do what we do," said Rapisardi.
It also reminds us that businesses along our coast are resilient.
"I guess the appreciation of…understanding what you had when you almost lost it," said Rapisardi.
"There are no safeguards, and I feel like that's part of where the system failed"
Henry Betsey Jr. is facing charges for marrying three Florida women in three different counties at the same time. Now, those women are speaking out, saying the system that handles marriage licenses kept them in the dark.
