Donovan's Reef will be back in business Saturday following five months of construction
SEA BRIGHT - Donovan's Reef, a beachfront Jersey Shore bar and restaurant that was severely damaged in Hurricane Sandy, will reopen Saturday, according to a report on News 12.
Nearly destroyed during the 2012 storm, a newly rebuilt Donovan's Reef has been under construction for more than five months. The tiki bar re-opened in 2015, but the main building has been out of commission since 2012.
Popular Sea Bright bar and restaurant Donovan's Reef will open Saturday for the first time since Hurricane Sandy. Just after Sandy, Donovan's owners expressed uncertainly on whether they would ever reopen. They actually had considered selling the property, but eventually decided to resurrect the club where famous local musicians like Bruce Springsteen and Jon Bon Jovi had dropped in at times to unwind.
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Then the owners had difficulty securing financing. There was nearly a year of stagnancy while they tried to get funding through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
They finally decided to seek private funding through a bank loan to break the logjam.
New sidewalks, curbs and benches have also been installed in businesses around town, News 12 reported.
Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JeffSGoldman. Find NJ.com on Facebook.