Ormond-by-the-Sea restaurant says FDOT road project is driving away customers

Ormond-by-the-Sea restaurant says FDOT road project is driving away customers

ORMOND-BY-THE-SEA, Fla. —

A state road project has taken away much-needed parking in front of a bar and restaurant in Ormond-by-the-Sea, and the staff says it’s costing them business.

Employees at Lagerheads Bar & Grill, located along Ocean Shore Boulevard, say the Florida Department of Transportation recently installed a curb and a makeshift sidewalk in front of the restaurant, eliminating all of the parking spaces in front of the business.

Now, they’re trying to get the word out that the restaurant is still open, despite what may be going on outside.

“Everybody’s driving past here and thinking that we’re closed because of the barricades,” said Bri Brannan, a manager at Lagerheads.

The restaurant is a staple in Ormond-by-the-Sea, but even its own customers couldn’t tell earlier this week that it was open.

“At first, I drove by, and I didn’t know what was going on, and I’m thinking, ‘Wow, are they closed? What’s going on?'” customer Krista Campano said.

Brannan said the barricades and reduced parking have impacted the restaurant and its staff financially.

“We have 30 employees and 20 musicians that rely on this as a full-time livelihood, and we’re all struggling right now. A lot of us are single moms. This is our only job,” Brannan said.

Right now, customers are having to rely on the restaurant’s 12 remaining spaces in the back, but those don’t work for everyone.

“I have an uncle with an ambulatory issue that can’t come here right now. I can’t park him down around back and bring him around. And there’s so much traffic here. It’s hard to open the door and let him out and be safe about it, so that’s an issue,” Campano said.

According to FDOT, the project is part of an effort to improve safety along State Road A1A from north of Roberta Road to the Flagler County line. The project includes 18 new crosswalks — including one right outside the bar at Marlin Drive — a 10-foot-wide shared-use path with curb and gutter on the southbound side of A1A, and drainage improvements. The speed limit in the corridor has also been lowered.

Construction on the $13 million project began in April 2026 and is expected to continue into 2027.

A spokesperson with the agency said Lagerheads’ front parking spaces were within FDOT’s right-of-way and will no longer be available.

“At this restaurant property, specifically, the existing parking along A1A is being eliminated to improve safety with the addition of the shared-use path and curb and gutter,” the spokesperson said in a statement, adding that the new curb is designed to protect pedestrians using the shared-use path.

The spokesperson also said the agency was in contact with the restaurant’s owner throughout the design process in recent years and again before the curb work began.

“It’s really taken a toll on everybody in here,” Brannan said. “I don’t know what we’re going to do. I don’t know. I mean, we’re just kinda making it work right now. Nobody has really any answers, any solid solutions.”

Staff members say they’re hoping to find some middle ground with the state. In the meantime, they will continue to get the word out that Lagerheads is still open seven days a week.

More information about the project can be found on FDOT’s website.