ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. – A St. Johns County restaurant was demolished nearly 10 months after it was destroyed during Hurricane Matthew.
The heartbroken owners of Matanzas Innlet Restaurant just couldn't rebuild.
Where the seafood restaurant once stood in Crescent Beach, it's now nothing but a dirt field. But the cleared piece of waterfront property along A1A was once a popular destination for locals.
It's a sad change for the community, including the owners.
Hurricane Matthew left much of the area in disrepair, including the Matanzas Innlet Restaurant. News4Jax spoke with the owner, Joan Galasso, for the WJXT Films documentary "A Disaster Named Matthew."
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"I don't know what to say. I have refrigerators, triple door freezers back there that are toppled," Galasso said. "One of our booths, it wound up in the kitchen. This just took my heart out."
Galasso and her husband, Jerry, owned the restaurant for 25 years. But the damage done 10 months ago, she said, made rebuilding impossible.
"It was the most life-changing event in my life. We were here making a good living. We had a great sense, awesome help -- our staff was just aces. That was the hardest part, knowing we weren't all going to be together anymore," Galasso said.
Just days ago, the Galassos took a difficult step: Having the old restaurant demolished. Photos on their Facebook page showed the piles of rubble as the building came down.
Now, as people slowly try to get back to normal, the area has a noticeable void.
The couple are still uncertain what to do with the land, but the Galassos said they are considering building a new structure.
Hurricane recovery efforts continue
There are signs of progress as recovery efforts continue almost a year after Hurricane Matthew swept up Florida's east coast.
But's that's not the case for everyone in St. Johns County, which was of the hardest-hit areas.
At his home right off the Matanzas Inlet in Crescent Beach, Tony Donovan told News4Jax on Friday he sees progress and a lot of support.
"I couldn’t be happier. The people that helped -- the Salvation Army and the Red Cross -- just everyday people, you know? It shows we live in a great country," Donovan said.
WATCH: St. Johns County recovering after Hurricane Matthew
Donovan, like others, said Matthew’s destruction brought out the best in St. Johns County. And the recovery process, in his eyes, has moved more quickly than expected.
"Everybody who lives here, it’s just like one big family. Everybody helps everybody. You know, when you get to be my age, you really appreciate that -- or any age," Donovan said.
While the recovery process has moved relatively quickly for some in St Johns County, for others, it’s as if Hurricane Matthew was just here a few days ago. Many of the houses along the coast remain boarded up, some of which were even condemned.
The scars along the beaches are hard to miss. News4Jax on Friday saw books still inside one home, which was gutted and left in disrepair.
The process to revive the properties may be held up by red tape and other delays, but for people, such as Donovan, Matthew was a reminder of what he does have,
"Let’s you know how short life is and just to enjoy life every day of the year," he said. "And quit complaining because there’s nothing to complain about. We’ve got it made, you know?