The doors are open again at 411 Mandalay Avenue in Clearwater Beach, where a longtime nightlife spot has returned under a new name after nearly two years of rebuilding. Owner Peter Czajkowski's bar, previously known as Jamminz Beach Bar, has relaunched as Clearwater Beach Bar, with a full grand opening held Saturday, October 24.
According to the bar's website, clearwaterbeachbarusa.com, “It's taken nearly two years of rebuilding to get back on our feet.” The site states that Hurricane Milton closed its doors in 2024, while Bay News 9 reported the bar reopened after a two-year closure tied to Hurricane Helene damage. The two accounts differ on which storm is to blame, but both agree the shutdown lasted roughly two years before the bar came back to life this month.
Czajkowski described the toll the damage took on the business, saying reopening after two years would not be easy. “They knocked us down, but they couldn't break us,” he said. Security camera footage reportedly showed floodwater inside the bar, and Czajkowski said the water rose over the bar itself, with beer coolers floating in the room. The building was ultimately gutted, with extensive repairs needed after water damaged much of its equipment.
A New Look, A Familiar Spirit
Now operating as Clearwater Beach Bar, the business has rebranded with a new name and a fresh look, according to its website. Staff said the first day back went well and that they look forward to more people visiting the renovated space. The bar is open Wednesday through Sunday, with hours running 6 p.m. to 3 a.m. Wednesday through Friday and noon to 3 a.m. on weekends; it's closed Mondays and Tuesdays. Live DJs are scheduled every Friday and Saturday night.
Czajkowski said he hopes to bring back longtime Jamminz customers while also welcoming tourists to the rebuilt space, with plans to create what he called a great place for everybody to hang out. Rob Smith, who was quoted in connection with the reopening, said the bar brings people together and that he's glad to see businesses in the area returning after the storms. Smith added that Clearwater Beach is an even better spot now, thanks in part to the recovery and facelift many properties have undergone.
A Neighborhood Still Rebuilding
Clearwater Beach Bar's comeback fits into a broader pattern along Mandalay Avenue, where other businesses have also renovated in the aftermath of the hurricanes. Elsewhere in Clearwater, the recovery has stretched on in similarly dramatic fashion: Jimmy's Fish House and Iguana Bar, as WTSP reported, didn't reopen until more than a year after Hurricane Helene tore away its deck and buried its interior in sand, even though it took at least 68 days just to get the doors open again. That restaurant used the extended downtime to upgrade its facilities and overhaul its layout rather than simply restore what was lost.
Just down the coast, the Beachcomber and neighboring Jimmy B's Beach Bar reopened in St. Pete Beach in October 2025 after being closed for more than a year, Bay News 9 reported in a separate story. In Pinellas County more broadly, the Business Observer noted that hotels and shops on Clearwater Beach remained boarded up as recovery dragged on, while businesses farther inland, like the Rumba Island Bar and Grill on Gulf to Bay, also shut down in the storm's immediate aftermath.
On Corey Avenue in St. Pete Beach, the comeback has been steadier lately. Tampabay28.com reported that most businesses there have reopened nearly two years after Hurricane Milton made landfall on October 9, 2024, compounding damage Hurricane Helene had already caused. A store manager there told the outlet that business this year has been better than the previous two years combined, as events like a Sunday market, art showcases and monthly sipping strolls have helped draw residents and visitors back to support local shops. For businesses still working to rebuild, Pinellas County has pointed to disaster recovery assistance and emergency loan programs made available in the wake of Hurricane Helene.
For Czajkowski, the long rebuild now comes down to welcoming people back through the door. With DJs booked for the weekends ahead and a renovated space staff say they're eager to show off, Clearwater Beach Bar is betting that two years of setbacks are finally behind it.
