October 29, 2026
At the friends-and-family night before Toucan's officially reopened, a guest showed owner Sean Carruth a photo of his family at the restaurant. He had taken it the week before Hurricane Michael. "Now his kids are eight years older," Carruth told WMBB on opening day, Friday, October 23, 2026.
Those eight years are the timeline people remember. The shorter one is more useful. Since construction started in 2024, Toucan's has had several public opening targets, and each one slipped. Mexico Beach's public waterfront is now on that same kind of schedule. The Al Cathey Pier has FEMA funding, and its start date has already moved. For planning the months ahead, the dependable pieces are the projects the city has already finished and the event dates the community has already set.
Toucan's has been part of Mexico Beach since 1966. Michael destroyed it in 2018. Here is how the public forecast for its return changed over the years, as WJHG reported in April 2024, July 2025 and August 2026:
| When it was reported | What the forecast said |
|---|---|
| April 2024 | Owners had first hoped to reopen in 2021. Construction had just started with test pilings, and the build was estimated at 12 to 18 months |
| July 2025 | Construction would finish in late November or early December, with opening by the end of January 2026 |
| August 2026 | Remaining work included plumbing fixes and signage, with doors expected to open right after Labor Day |
| October 23, 2026 | Open |
In 2024 the owners told WJHG why the 2021 hope didn't happen. They named COVID, permitting and financing. The City of Mexico Beach's weekly report for September 5, 2025, lists "Toucans- 719 Hwy 98" among its approved development orders, marked "Structure Only." More than a year passed between that approval and opening day.
On opening day, partner Rob Hammer described the layout to WJHG: "We've got the downstairs dining, we got the deck dining, we got our little tiki bar area outside where we have live entertainment." A second-floor sports bar sits above all of that. WJHG described the new Toucan's as bigger than before. People lined up almost an hour before the doors opened.
Pieces of the old restaurant came back too. Inside are original photos, the small signs with what Hammer called "hokey little sayings," and a Tyndall Air Force Base sign hung as a nod to another post-Michael comeback. In August, Hammer told WJHG the new building was designed to withstand multiple hurricanes.
The basics for a first visit:
Some third-party reservation listings show 11 p.m. closing every night. The hours on Toucan's own site include the 2 a.m. weekend closing.
Toucan's joins a Highway 98 restaurant row that kept running while it was closed. The Mexico Beach tourism council's dining directory lists Killer Seafood at 820 US-98, Caribbean Coffee & Cafe at 2802-A, Mango Marley's at 3102, Local Beach Pizza at 3701, and Forgotten Coast Brewing Co. at 4101. That last one is flagged "Now Open!"
In early September the pier looked like it was finally ready to start. On September 2, WJHG reported a $10 million FEMA package and the Army Corps permit for rebuilding the Al Cathey Pier. Two days later the city announced that FEMA had officially promised the funding. WJHG described the design. The pier keeps its original 840-foot length but moves 230 feet farther into the Gulf, so anglers will fish over 20 feet of water instead of 6. That story said construction would begin at the end of 37th Street once a two-week funding phase ended, and would take about a year.
The city's October 23 weekly report shows how that schedule changed. Change Order #1 for the pier went on the City Council's October 27 agenda. According to the report, the contractor could hold its bid pricing only until April. FEMA's obligation of the money was delayed by the government shutdown earlier this year, and prices have risen since the November 2025 bid.
So the "about a year" estimate from September counts from a start date that hasn't happened yet. Toucan's went through the same thing. Each delay outside the project's control, whether permitting, financing or a federal shutdown, pushes back every date that depends on it.
The Seaside Market grocery store is another forecast to hold loosely. When it broke ground in January, WJHG reported an expected opening "by the end of this year or early 2027." No newer date has been announced since.
The city's Projects page carries this warning: "all future dates are subject to change; each project has many layers of oversight from other government agencies." The page also crosses projects off as they finish. These waterfront projects are marked complete:
The work still underway is moving in small steps. Here is the status from the October 23 report:
| Project | Status as of Oct. 23, 2026 |
|---|---|
| Canal | Fully open |
| Jetty rebuild | Contractor doing layout; the city dredge crew is moving sand to fill behind where the piles will be driven |
| Boat ramp repair and extension | Minor mobilization; waiting for steel sheet piles due at the end of the month |
| 7th Street dune walkover | Framing expected to finish by the end of that week |
| Sunset Park dune walkover | Contractor checking rust at the welds; the city is holding the pay application until the issues are resolved |
| Dune Walkover #3 | FDEP permit review underway |
The canal reopening matters most for anyone with a kayak or a boat this fall. The completed kayak launch sits on a waterway the city now reports as fully open. The boat ramp work is still waiting on materials.
Community events are planned on fixed dates, and the next two are set. The Mexico Beach Community Development Council lists them:
The tree lighting also uses the post-Michael rebuild. Parker Park's amphitheater and restrooms are both on the city's completed list. The park hosting the town's holiday evening is one of the finished pieces.
The City Council meets again on November 10 and November 17, both at 9 a.m., and the Planning and Zoning board meets December 7 at 6 p.m. The weekly reports from those weeks will show the next steps for the pier, jetty and boat ramp.
If you're watching the waterfront projects and wondering how they factor into owning or selling a home near the canal, the Gulf or the future pier site at 37th Street, Coastal Heritage Realty follows these city updates week by week and can walk you through what's finished and what's still in progress. Schedule Your Complimentary Consultation and we'll go through the latest report with you.
Buying or selling a home is a major milestone, and you deserve a team that truly listens and understands your needs. We take a personalized approach to every client, ensuring that your experience is smooth, stress-free, and successful.