Yee-haw! Rodeo's Steak Pit and Seafood restaurant in Parker reopens post-hurricane

News Herald (Panama City, FL)

Jul. 16—PARKER — On Tuesday afternoon, Clayton Hood walked out of Rodeo's Steak Pit and Seafood Restaurant with a contented look in his eyes.

"I love this," Hood said, gesturing at the all-new interior of the restaurant. "This is a great family and a family place. That's why we keep coming back."

Rodeo's, at 5904 U.S. 98 beside Pitts Bayou, recently reopened after more than two years of reconstruction. The business, owned by Bobby and Kelly Creamer, was all but wiped off the map by Hurricane Michael on Oct. 10, 2018.

The Creamers live 2 miles away and they rode out the storm in their home's bathroom with their three daughters. Their home took significant damage and they would end up living with Bobby's father for five months while it was repaired.

When the weather calmed at last, they drove to the restaurant, weaving around fallen trees and power lines, to check on their business.

"We got here, and didn't think it was as bad as it was," Bobby Creamer said, as the front of the building appeared to be mostly intact.

"We thought there was hope, but then you got to the door and looked in, and all you could see was the sky," said Debra Trull, a waitress who met them at the site. "It was heartbreaking for sure."

"She asked, 'Are we going to rebuild?' and I said, 'Yes,'" Bobby said, noting a bent piece of metal resting on the front entrance had formed the shape of the "ichthus," the fish symbol signifying Christianity. "It was never a question from there if we would rebuild."

Boats had crashed into the building, riding storm surges off the bayou and about 18 inches of water had filled the place. The roof was "peeled back like a sardine can," Bobby Creamer said and everything was demolished right down to the foundation.

However, another discovery in the ruined building, one of the few items that survived the storm intact, was a ceramic crucifix that had been on the front counter. Etched on the cross was the Bible verse, John 3:16.

Faith, as the weeks to follow became months and years, would be essential to the family as well as their business.

The first challenge, while insurance adjusters worked up the site and contractors were contacted for estimates, was to find a source of income to keep them going until Rodeo's could reopen.

Bobby Creamer found a job that had him driving to Dothan, Alabama, daily, while Kelly took on more clients for her photography business. Manager Jason Feagans took a construction job.

Rodeo's had been a family-owned business for almost 20 years before the storm. Bobby and Kelly bought it 10 months before the hurricane from his brother and sister-in-law, Gwen and Sharon Creamer. Feagans has been with the business for 18 years.

"In a way, it was like a chance to start over and fix what didn't work," Feagans said. "We could say, 'That wasn't working, so why don't we do it this other way?'"

For instance, the freezers, which had occupied part of the back deck area, were moved to the front of the building, allowing for easier deliveries. The move also provided room to expand the deck seating overlooking the bayou.

As work began, the staff took time to etch Bible verses into the fresh concrete of a new foundation. One of those verses is also now displayed above the front entrance: "And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew on the house, but it did not fall because it had been founded on the rock" — Matthew 7:25.

During the long process, people would stop in the parking lot to ask when they would be open. One couple would drive up each week just to sit in the lot and pray for the business and the family, Bobby said.

"It just took forever because of materials, delays, COVID, lack of workers, pulling permits (because the permitting office was damaged, and sometimes people weren't available in a timely manner)," Bobby Creamer said.

"It was the perfect storm of little things," Feagans said, adding that even the dining tables were slow to arrive, several weeks after they were ordered. "We still can't get certain products and the labor market is strapped."

Bobby Creamer said he did get discouraged, wondering if they ought to just give up. Kelly said it was frustrating, but "I'm glad we didn't open in the middle of COVID-19."

The waiting was hard on staff members, too, who the Creamers wanted to be able to put back to work.

"That was a heavy burden," Kelly Creamer said. "It's important to know your employees' families and take care of each other."

Rodeo's Steak Pit finally reopened on May 17, first having a staff dinner with their families and many of the people who had helped them in their time of need. One man, a long-time diner, drove in from Tennessee to be there.

"We always had a good core of regular customers," Feagans said, noting that the only complaint he had heard about the restaurant before the storm was that the building was outdated. "Now we've been blessed with a new building, though it came with some pain."

They kept the same menu of steaks, shrimp and locally-sourced seafood, adding two new sides — sweet potatoes and macaroni and cheese.

"The Boss said we had to have mac and cheese," Feagans said.

"The Boss" is Bobby and Kelly's youngest daughter, Sadie, 7. Their other daughters — Kaylin, 16, and Alianne, 12 — are working in the restaurant this summer.

"It was hard to see it like it was," Kaylin said of her first views of the building after Hurricane Michael.

"We've been blessed ever since we opened," Bobby Creamer said. Business has been strong, and after running short-handed in the first few weeks, they are now fully staffed.

They plan to hold a food drive for a community food pantry this fall, and the restaurant will host worship services in coming weeks. Those who are interested in details can follow their Facebook page for updates.

"It's more than a restaurant, it's something to serve the community," Bobby Creamer said. "I think the future looks good here."

RODEO'S STEAK PIT & SEAFOOD RESTAURANT

Where: 5904 U.S. 98 in Parker

Hours: Open 10:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday (closed Monday)

Details: 850-871-0034 or Rodeo's-Steak-Pit-Seafood-Restaurant on Facebook.com

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