SARASOTA, Fla. — A family-run restaurant on St. Armands Circle says it has had its most successful year since opening nearly 30 years ago after rebuilding from damage caused by the 2024 hurricanes.
Nonno Umberto Italian Seafood Steakhouse was flooded by hurricanes Helene and Milton, forcing co-owners Simone and Amber Salustri and their family to rebuild the Sarasota restaurant.
Simone Salustri said the family lost millions of dollars, and items that could not be replaced.
“We lost all the memories,” Simone Salustri said.
The Salustri family has operated the restaurant for almost 30 years, serving food based on recipes and traditions they grew up with in Rome.
“We always loved what we were doing,” Simone Salustri said. “We grew up doing this since we were kids.”
The restaurant reopened at the end of December after the storms.
Simone Salustri said some neighboring businesses did not return after the hurricanes.
“After the storm, we lost many, many neighbors. And they never came back,” he said.
Amber Salustri said the restaurant has since exceeded expectations.
“We’ve been so busy, so fortunate. And we never expected to exceed as much as we did,” she said. “So, it’s been a blessing.”
To help pay for the rebuild, the family bought a food truck and served food throughout the area.
They said the truck brought in about $600,000, which they put back into the restaurant.
The owners said they are also preparing for future storms.
They have added waterproof walls in the kitchen, windows designed to keep water out, and kitchen equipment on wheels so it can be moved.
Simone Salustri said the experience changed the family.
“Everybody’s happy in the family,” he said. “We are a stronger family because of it.”
Dining and Cooking