Sarasota Daiquiri Bar Stirs Up Growth After Disaster

The Daiquiri Deck Inc of Sarasota County

What began as a Key West-inspired idea in the early 1990s has grown into one of Florida’s most recognizable frozen drink destinations. In 1993, after envisioning a place where locals and visitors could enjoy handcrafted daiquiris in a lively beachside setting, Troy Syprett and his partners launched their first Daiquiri Deck location in Siesta Key Village.

Today, the concept has expanded to five Florida locations, combining signature frozen drinks with a polished, casual dining experience featuring a menu designed by a Culinary Institute of America-trained chef.

But like many hospitality businesses, the restaurant faced significant challenges after natural disasters, Hurricane Debby, Milton, and Helene, disrupted operations. That’s when Syprett turned to the Florida SBDC at USF.

“The hurricane that did the most damage in our area experienced between 7 and 9 ft of storm surge. That storm surge inundated one of our restaurants with about 12 inches of water that had been contaminated with grease trap oil and other materials. Our store in St. Armand’s also experienced about 12 inches of flooding too,” Syprett said. “The other major impact that the hurricanes had on our region was the destruction of a large portion of the short-term rental accommodations and housing throughout the barrier islands, which led to a precipitous drop in our sales,” Syprett said.

Senior business consultant Scott Carpenter guided the business through disaster recovery funding, helping secure a Florida Emergency Bridge Loan and a Small Business Administration (SBA) Economic Injury Loan.

“Once we began working with the SBDC, Scott became our point person,” Syprett shared. “He not only helped us access recovery funds but also connected us with other SBDC advisors, including an import-export expert evaluating opportunities in South Korea and a financial advisor helping us strengthen our structure,” he added.

The owner credits the Florida SBDC at USF and his business consultant with being a steady partner through tough times: “Scott was able to help us and support us by connecting us with the correct people to help us get through that application process which we are still in, post storm. At this point [he] has been a critical point or a critical partner in helping us survive the last seven months after the hurricanes, his support and their support helped us secure the funds that we needed to get us through a very difficult time when we were lacking in customers and lacking in sales,” Syprett mentioned.

With recovery well underway, the company is thriving again and planning future expansions into new markets. “For the most part our stores have physically recovered except for one store we have that still needs major repairs. The other four stores are open and operating at full capacity and those stores have seen a return of sales,” Syprett said.