‘It basically put us in the middle of the lake,’ owner says a year after storm

Ian may have left its mark on the staple of lakefront dining in Mims, but even historic flooding couldn't stop owner Jason Reichman from rebuilding.

MIMS, Fla. – It wasn’t possible a year ago to stand outside of Loughman Lakeside off State Road 46.

Pictures after Hurricane Ian showed Loughman Lake swallowing up the property leaving the restaurant on its own island. 

Now after about a million dollars in repairs, owner Jason Reichman is back in business.

“The water got up past the bar and then you can see on the wood line kind of where it just kind of rested,” Reichman said, showing the water marks inside his restaurant.

Ian may have left its mark on the staple of lakefront dining in Mims, but even historic flooding couldn’t stop Reichman from rebuilding.

“It basically put us in the middle of the lake,” the owner said.

Reichman said he replaced the water system and the well, along with the septic system, in addition to renovating the inside of the restaurant.

All that, he said, without FEMA assistance.

Loughman Lakeside reopened this summer.

“Well, it felt pretty good,” Reichman said about reopening. “My employees were surely happy to have a job again.”

Before opening for dinner Friday night, cook Dennis De Los Santos talked about serving his community.

“It’s a nice view by the water,” he said of the location. “You can be here all day. You’ll enjoy it, and the food’s always good.”

With hours limited to weekends right now, Reichman hopes to be open every day in another couple of months.

“You’ve just got to take what comes at you,” he said, answering a question about what he learned from the storm. “You can make a plan, but you can’t always follow that plan. You’ve got to always have a way to pivot to something else.”

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About the Author:

James joined News 6 in March 2016 as the Brevard County Reporter. His arrival was the realization of a three-year effort to return to the state where his career began. James is from Pittsburgh, PA and graduated from Penn State in 2009 with a degree in Broadcast Journalism.