Ka’Tiki Beach Bar Offers Sense of Community after Hurricanes

At the edge of Treasure Island, beyond the condos and beachfront franchises selling neon-syrup-cocktails, lies a different kind of beach bar. Nestled between the dunes and residences of Sunset Beach, you will find a local staple called Ka’Tiki. It is a place where buckets of beer bottles are shared between beach bums and bikers. A place where people have gathered for live music and camaraderie since its opening in 1982.

Keeping the doors open for 40 years hasn’t been without its struggles- the most recent of which being back-to-back Hurricanes Helene and Milton. Businesses and homes throughout the Bay area and beyond dealt with flooding, fallen limbs, debris, and other damage. But there is no denying our barrier islands took the brunt of the impact. When the waters receded, beachside buildings were left buried if not crumbled.

“They were open like two days later,” one local resident recounts. “They were out here with shovels digging the sand out the next day. It wasn’t a full menu, but they had the generator going, serving hot food and cold beer.”

While Ka’Tiki did begin shoveling their sand out after Hurricane Helene, Milton soon followed. The bar did not officially re-open until October 26th 2024, seventeen days after the Tropicana-Field-destroying winds of Hurricane Milton. Once the military flags were back hanging beneath the thatched palm roof, the flip flops and cowboy boots returned in full force. As did the music.

With a social media post exclaiming, “Were back!”, Ka’Tiki announced their first night of live music featuring the High Rollers with members from Seranation. This post was quickly followed by another, announcing a surprise late-night set from Sublime with Rome.

While the beach community continued struggling to recover, Ka’Tiki offered what they could- good times, good music, good people, and a sense of normalcy. On Thanksgiving morning, my girlfriend and I stopped by the beach before driving to her parents’ house. Ka’Tiki was as full as it was on any live music night. We dropped in to find they were hosting a potluck Thanksgiving meal for “friends and family”. Once we were welcomed in, we realized “friends and family” simply meant anyone who showed up.

The Don Cesar, St. Pete beach’s historic “Pink Palace” resort, is set to re-open in April 2025. For the rest of us, Ka’Tiki has continued rocking out for months, hosting local bands such as Have Gun Will Travel, The Family Funk, Shoeless Soul, The Reality, and Dead Set Florida. Swing on by for a beer, shimmy into the sea of tie-dye shirts and grey ponytails awkwardly gyrating on the dancefloor, and be sure to tell them J.C. sent you.