FMBGN-BIZ-Nick's Liquors-How A Fort Myers Beach Liquor Store Rebuilt After Hurricane Ian

A hurricane can take your walls, your inventory system, even your address but it does not have to take your story. We pull up at Nick’s Liquors on Fort Myers Beach and talk with Nick Jr. about what it really looks like to keep a local shop alive on an island where every year brings change, and some years bring catastrophe. If you care about small business resilience, Fort Myers Beach recovery, or the behind-the-counter reality of retail, this one is for you.

We start with the backstory: a liquor license bought as an investment, a real estate market crash, and a beach-day decision that turned into a 23-year run. From there, the conversation turns to Hurricane Ian storm surge and the brutal specifics of loss, including why their old spot was hit so hard and what it takes to rebuild when liquor store zoning rules limit where you can legally operate. It’s a grounded look at entrepreneurship that skips the slogans and sticks to the choices.

We also get into the fun side of the business: what customers actually buy (yes, Tito’s leads by a mile), why tequila drinkers are suddenly obsessed with “no additives,” and how Nick thinks about educating customers who want something cleaner. The standout moment is the shelf of bottles recovered after Ian, now sold as verified mementos of Fort Myers Beach history, equal parts souvenir and symbol of survival.

Subscribe for more local stories, share this with a friend who loves Fort Myers Beach, and leave a review so more people can find the show. Would you display a hurricane-survived bottle or drink it?

Nick's Liquors
Nick Dakos jr.
450 Old San Carlos Blvd G107, Fort Myers Beach, FL 33931
(239) 506-4077

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