Beer with Fred

Why Small Town Florida Mayors Are Quietly Giving Up


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Third-generation restaurateur Matt Loder Sr. (Krabby Bill’s, Bonefish Grill, Jake’s Coastal Cantina) joins Fred to ask a blunt question: can tiny Gulf-coast cities still run themselves? Post-pandemic labor shortages and back-to-back hurricanes have erased workforce housing, snarled permits, and left mayors pleading for county takeovers of planning, inspections, and transit. Loder details how one storm could wipe out his 42-year flagship in Indian Rocks Beach—then warns that “no parking, no bathrooms” drives visitors and staff away. A candid look at zoning fixes, density, driverless shuttles, and why preserving family businesses means rethinking small-town government.

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Beer with FredBy Fred Forsley