BAY COUNTY, FL (WMBB) – In its heyday, Toucan’s on the Beach drew people from all over the region to enjoy shrimp, tuna, oysters, hush puppies, cocktails and more.
“Toucan’s attracts customers from a wider area than just Mexico Beach. I’ve heard stories of people coming from out of state to go to Toucan’s on the Beach,” said City Manager Christ Truitt.
Then came October 10, 2018. Hurricane Michael tore through Mexico Beach, destroying the entire city. Toucan’s was completely washed away by a 15-foot storm surge.
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“Toucans were a staple of the community before Michael came along. By getting Toucan’s up and running again, Mexico Beach returns to their sense of normalcy. And it’s kind of an exclamation point on the recovery efforts. So the locals are extremely excited to get it back. And it’s going to be a great venue with loud music and lots of TVs to watch the games and everything else,” Truitt said.
The new Toucan’s on the Beach is really taking shape on the same stretch of sand as the original.
Owner Patrick Lee bought the restaurant in 2017.
He says the reopening is a symbol of the city’s recovery.
“We are super excited about bringing toucans back to the Mexico Beach community because I think it will be a symbol to me and a lot of people that Mexico Beach is back and because it was a major attraction to Mexico Beach. And now that it’s been destroyed, I think it shows that we’re starting to recover from Hurricane Michael,” Lee said.
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Lee hopes to reopen the restaurant in late summer or early fall 2025.
Lee says the new building has the same square footage as the old Toucan. He plans to hire about 150 employees.
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