Landmark shore restaurant nearing post-Sandy rebirth (PHOTOS, VIDEO)

Work to rebuild the flagship location of a popular restaurant chain is finally nearing completion after it was destroyed in Hurricane Sandy. Watch video

SEA BRIGHT — Parking is scarce at McLoone's Rum Runner these days, and the popular waterfront restaurant isn't even open to the public yet.

That day is rapidly approaching, however.

"I think we'll be open some time in April, but definitely by May," owner Tim McLoone said Tuesday morning, while checking on the progress of the restaurant's massive rebuilding effort.

Hurricane Sandy and then a malfunctioning fire suppression system destroyed the Rum Runner, the flagship location of McLoone's dozen upscale restaurant locations.

But the steady stream of workers in and out of the restaurant's Ocean Avenue location is proof that, more than three years removed from the historic storm, there is finally an end in sight to what has been an arduous process.

"I think it would be obvious to say that we're excited, but it's more like: 'Come on, let's go! Can we get this finished?'" McLoone joked. "It's been a tremendous mental drain, everything my company had to go through was just exhausting. I think we're kind of impatient now and just want to get it going, now that we're only about a month away."

It took a lot longer than anyone expected, especially McLoone.

At first, McLoone wasn't sure what he was going to do with the property, because the building would have to be completely rebuilt and his insurance didn't come close to covering that cost.

But after he received several "lowball" offers and followed some guidance from a friend — Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno — on federal funding options administered through the state Economic Development Authority, McLoone decided to give the Rum Runner another shot at life.

The borough's planning board approved the plans for the new, much higher Rum Runner in April 2014 and the existing structure was demolished about three months later.

McLoone told NJ Advance Media after the planning board approved the project that if they could get "shovels in the ground" by the summer of 2014, the new restaurant could open by the summer of 2015.

But then came the red tape.

"Trying to get the money was insane," said McLoone, of the $5 million federal loan, insurance money and other funding needed to rebuild the Rum Runner. "The people at the EDA were extremely friendly and extremely helpful. But I think that after Hurricane Katrina, there were firewalls built around any kind of federal money and the layers of government you have to go through to get to any of it is rough."

Even though McLoone said that process is still not done and that there's still "paperwork flying around" that has to get taken care of, the Rum Runner's progress is undeniable.

Standing approximately 14 feet above covered parking spots, the new two-story Rum Runner looks modern, elegant and massive — though it actually has less occupancy than the prior restaurant.

"We used to be able to seat 450, now it's just under 300. We cut it by a third and I feel good about that," said McLoone, comparing the new Rum Runner's smaller size to a trend in Major League Baseball and NFL stadiums where they are downsizing the seating to create more demand.

Jersey Shore restaurant approved for post-Sandy rebirth

The first floor of the new restaurant — which was designed by Anderson Campanella Architects and constructed by The Martin Group — features the main dining area, for seating of approximately 100. There is also a large centrally located bar, a piano bar and an indoor/outdoor seating area for another 60 to 100 patrons, depending on the weather, McLoone said.

The second floor features space for additional a la carte dining and private functions of up to 60 people. It also has another small bar, which has a countertop made of the only remaining pieces of the former Rum Runner.

Windows line the restaurant's north, south and west sides, giving spectacular views of the Shewsbury River and the Atlantic Ocean.

"It has spectacular vistas up here, there is nothing like it and part of that is because we are so high up. We always had the water views, but you were right next to it. Now were perched over it," said McLoone, adding his goal was for the new Rum Runner to look more like a home than a commercial building.

Despite how challenging and delayed the rebuilding process was, McLoone said he was confident that it would come to fruition.

"It's just sort of my nature, I'm not going to give up on stuff. My father always said I was an extraordinarily optimistic child," McLoone said through a smile. "And quite honestly, I felt like we had an attachment to Sea Bright. ... We wanted to be a part of rebuilding Sea Bright, I just thought we'd be there a lot sooner. We're kind of trailing now, as opposed to being in the front, but we're getting close."