New ownership lifts cloud from Caddy's on the Beach
By Eric Snider
Tampa Bay Business Journal
Published: Apr 30, 2015

Questions about the fate of Caddy's on the Beach have been answered. The popular hangout at 9000 Gulf Blvd. on Treasure Island will remain just at it is - same name, same menu, same vibe - for the foreseeable future.

Within the last year, speculation grew that Caddy's might close because an on ongoing legal dispute might see the state of Florida to buy the property and raze the building.

But the owners of MacDinton's, plus a fourth partner, stepped in, paid $7.5 million to long-time owner Tony Amico and have already taken over operation.

"We might do some cosmetic things, but we like the place just the way it is,” said partner Barry O'Connor. "We're continuing operations; people keep their jobs; people still have their Caddy's.”

The new ownership group, called SFMB Treasure Island Properties, purchased the main building, an ancillary building used for storage and the beach on the Gulf of Mexico.

O'Connor said the asset was on the group's radar for about three years, and they'd had on and off negotiations with Amico.

Asked why he felt the time was right to sell, Amico said, "Money. What other reason is there?”

Caddy's has been the subject of controversy for several years. It's the largest local beach bar that still legally allows alcohol consumption on the adjacent sand. That fact alone has people in the community divided.

In 2001, Amico, who has a large stake in the Jannus Landing block in downtown St. Petersburg, acquired what was then a hole-in-the wall dating back to the 1940s and transformed into a hot tourist destination. That led to further consternation from the neighbors.

Early on, his claim of ownership of the beach tract was contested by state Department of Environmental Protection, which contended that because the portions of eroded sand had been artificially restored, it was public property.

Amico attempted to sell the property to Pinellas County in 2005 but the dispute scuttled the deal. He in turn sued the DEP, a case that is still active. Amico said he has no plans to drop it.

O'Connor said he and his partners are confident that the lawsuit will not encumber the property. Amico said the sale contract reflects the ongoing legal dispute with the state. "We agreed to put money in escrow,” he said.

None of that matters to the Caddy's faithful. Their beloved day-and-night gathering spot - where they can buy a cocktail at the bar and saunter out to the water, or prop a beer in the sand while they play beach volleyball - lives on.

Eric Snider is a reporter for the Tampa Bay Business Journal.