Bimini Boatyard Closing!!! NOOOOO!!!!

So I leave for a few days to go to Portland and come back to find Bimini Boatyard shutting down and manatees allegedly copulating on the beach???

Can%26#39;t I leave you all alone for a few days?!!

I am concerned about Bimini because I do LOVE that bread- and many other things about it.. and also because the same company owns Seawatch- no rumors about that closing I hope.. I think I%26#39;ll do Seawatch lunch on Thursday and see whats%26#39;s going on...

Portland/Seattle was great, but for the last few days they had an unbelievable heat wave - high of 97 in Seattle on Sunday- now that we are back everything has gone back to normal for them...

Bimini Boatyard Closing!!! NOOOOO!!!!

Welcome back! Glad to hear that you enjoyed your trip. It just wasn%26#39;t the same without you. I knew you would be upset about Bimini Boatyard.

I%26#39;m sorry if I was naughty posting the manatee information but I sincerely thought it was helpful visitor information. Visitors like to know where they may see manatees. It isn%26#39;t my fault if the manatees were looking for an audience.

It did bring back memories of a poster who was shocked at some behaviors on the beach. lol

Bimini Boatyard Closing!!! NOOOOO!!!!

Thanks Pat! I have to add that our SWA crew was just fabulous- the flights going out were only half full and they couldn%26#39;t do enough for us! Coming back of course on a Monday flight they were just about full.

Our first expreience with the new way SWA boards. I don%26#39;t care for the A%26#39;s first , then families procedure. We will have to learn to board after the families , evn if we are A%26#39;s- the families don%26#39;t seem to like it either . I guess they are trying to always be sure their business class boards first- so they should perhaps board A 1-15 first, then families- everyone seems to want to avoid infants and toddlers if they can! Of course , as has been pointed out on other forums , there seem to be very few business travelers- there were I think only 3 on the full flight coming back and I think perhaps none out of Ft. Lauderdale- will be interesting to see how it goes as time goes on!

I wish I had been here for the manatees- I have actually only seen one unexpectedly in all the years I have lived here- not counting the ones that used to always be seen at Port Everglades years ago( they used to be easily seen in a cooling station near teh FPL plant there that is now closed to the public I think)- and that one was floating lazily down Middle River one Sunday am when John and I were out walking - in that little canal branch just south of 26th and Federal. They are such amazing creatures!

I chuckled at the Manatee post. It reminded me of the ';Flaming on the beach'; post too.

I%26#39;m really bummed about Bimini Boatyard closing....I loved their Cobb salad with Diane dressing!!!

We%26#39;re lunching at Seawatch tomorrow- it has the same owners as Bimini. I think that Cobb is on that menu as well- or something very similar. I%26#39;ll let you know ( sob!) I%26#39;m going to miss the crabcakes eggs benedict at Sunday Brunch- it is so hard to find a place open for brunch on Saturday and Sunday - and they were- plated brunch too- which is even more rare! I pray there are no similar plans to close Seawatch- my ';ladies who lunch'; have a charity event there each year. We also used to have several functions annually in the sun porch areas of Bimini!

I%26#39;m still trying to figure out how to break this news to a friend in Tallahassee- she has had a special brunch there for about twenty people on her once a year reunion visit for the last few years. It was her favorite spot in town!

We will miss this place as well. On our recent stops there the last couple of years they always seemed busy, so I%26#39;m curious if this was due to some reason other than a lack of business.

Harry

Ladies and Gentlemen, I hope to quell some of your fears. Bimini Boatyard was sold recently to Mr. Steve Hudson, who is related in some manner to Mr. Wayne Huizenga. Right now they do not plan to close. However they will be re-decorating and making everything new and classy.

Right now the back bar is walled off while they change the decor. This should last 2 or 3 weeks.

Not to fear, they will continue to serve the same Bimini Bread and their menu may be improved as they hire more top chefs.

Conciergeforyou - I%26#39;m glad to hear that it is only a temporary closing and look forward to our return in Dec.

The Hostess at Seawatch told us that Seawatch operated Bimini under a lease agreement with the shopping center owner , who has terminated their lease. So I don%26#39;t know what the new place will be like , but it won%26#39;t have any connection to Seawatch or same employees or menu. She said many of the employees will be brought to Seawatch and she has heard some Bimini menu items will be integrated there.

As far as whether the new place will be better- lets wait and see...

We had a nice lunch at Seawatch ( grilled grouper with chive-tomato butter and bar- b -qued salmon. and a nice fruit cobbler while we watched the iguanas play.)

Abby, they serve the Diane salad there ( with chicken ) and also offer Cobb Salad with choice of dressing , so I think your Cobb /with Diane Dressing will happen at Seawatch if Bimini strays from what we all loved so.

I know new owners ruined 15th Street Fisheries ( in my and many opinions)and of course prices were raised drastically on their new worse menu), so lets hope Bimini doesn%26#39;t have the same fate!

Thanks for the update Lulu - the description of your lunch menu is causing quite a stir with my salivary glands!!

It%26#39;s always difficult when new owners come in - and you%26#39;re so right! Typically the menu changes and the prices go up. I hate it when you find a place you like only to have it go the way of Bimini and 15th Street Fisheries.....