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Bunny & Pirates holding grand finale Saturday

Bunny & Pirates holding grand finale Saturday

Written by Leslie Lake on . Posted in Business, Restaurants | Bars.

CORTEZ – After seven years in business as a pub, market and live music venue, Bunny & Pirates Bazaar is closing and will be having a grand finale celebration on Saturday, April 6.

Beginning at 3 p.m., the farewell event will feature live music, food trucks, raffle prizes and a silent auction at 12404 Cortez Road W.

Bunny & Pirates business owners Elizabeth Shore and Jeffrey O’Connell announced the unexpected closing on Facebook on March 16 after lease negotiations stopped with building owner Shawn Kaleta.

The pair opened Bunny & Pirates in 2017 as a coastal store selling new and vintage items, snacks and craft beer. The following year they launched the pub and live music.

In a press release to news outlets, Shore wrote in part: “Announcing that we have been forced to close the venue has been among the most difficult things we have ever endured. We evolved the beer garden over time with the grassroots help of friends and family. Everyone pitched in, and we transformed our outdoor space with many helping hands. There is something special about being part of helping one another. We brought people together around common human needs – a place of belonging and friendship.”

Shore wrote that customers became part of their extended friends and family.

“It’s obvious from the reaction of our community over the last couple of weeks since we announced our sudden closing how much our familiar vibe resonated with so many people,” she wrote. “We became a destination for friends to meet; there is heart and soul in what we created. Our brand developed over time because of the love of our friends and customers.”

Shore characterized Cortez as a sleepy Florida town when Bunny & Pirates first opened.

“Our salty, humble place lets people of all backgrounds let their hair down, grab a music shaker, and enjoy life without pretense. Its absence will be a terrible loss,” Shore wrote. “Yes, change, growth and business are essential, but so are the riches of our history, family values and helping our neighbors.”

Shore wrote that old Florida history is being erased.

“You can’t buy the love and respect that Bunny & Pirates has in our community,” she wrote.

Over the years the pair has managed to overcome numerous business challenges.

“We made it through Hurricane Irma, which delayed our opening, the long red tide in 2018, our first year in business, the 2020 COVID shutdowns during our second anniversary, the resulting 2021 supply chain crisis, the 2022 great resignation, and the 2023 rising inflation prices.”

Bunny & Pirates will close permanently in mid-April, according to Shore.

Brian Haddix benefit taking place Sunday

Brian Haddix benefit set for Sunday

Written by Joe Hendricks on . Posted in Anna Maria Island, Community News.

CORTEZ – A fundraiser will be held for Brian “Hardcore” Haddix at Bunny & Pirates Bazaar on Sunday, Dec. 19 from noon until 5 p.m.

Haddix, 52, was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer that has now metastasized into stage 4 lung cancer as well. He’s also dealt with other health issues in recent years.

“The colon cancer spread and settled in my lungs,” he said, noting he begins chemo and radiation treatments on Jan. 6.

Sunday’s benefit will include a potluck dinner and a musical jam session. Attendees are asked to bring a potluck dish to share, and musicians are invited to drop by to perform at the open jam.

“Let’s do this for Brian! Let’s all get together and show him some love. Stuff a few dollars in his pocket while you are there. He is going to need all the help he can get,” says the benefit preview shared on Facebook.

Donations from local businesses are still sought for fundraising raffle prizes. All proceeds will go directly to Haddix. In addition to the preparations being made by Bunny & Pirates’ owners Elizabeth Shore and Jeffrey O’Connell, Rose Lipke and Cindy Thompson are gathering raffle prizes and other donations for Haddix. Donations can be dropped off at Bunny & Pirates Bazaar, at 12404 Cortez Road W. in Cortez. For more information regarding donations and assisting Haddix, please contact Lipke by text message at 941-405-5374 or by email at Rosemlipke@gmail.com.

“Brian is one of the kindest, most gentle souls the Island has ever known. Even as kids at the community center, Brian had a kind word, a warm smile and a generous attitude that continues to this day. He truly embodies the definition of a pure heart. He’s given so much of himself to all of us individually that it spills into a community service that he doesn’t even realize he’s doing. It’s just his nature. It’s time we all show him how much he means to us and how much we love him,” Lipke said.

“I’ve known Brian for over 25 years. He truly is the kindest soul with a heart of gold. He is accustomed to helping others. Due to his diagnosis and other unfortunate circumstances he now needs us, his ‘AMI Tribe,’ to help him. With his basic needs covered, he will be able to put his energy into his upcoming cancer treatments,” Thompson said.

Publix, WalMart and Winn Dixie gift cards donated directly to Haddix are also very helpful.

Haddix’s truck broke down in August and he now often relies on the MCAT bus service to get around. Efforts are afoot to get him a used vehicle so he can drive himself to medical appointments and run his errands. In the meantime, folks can help by giving him rides.

Island ties

Haddix was born in Lexington, Kentucky. He grew up in Anna Maria, has spent the past 40 years in the area and still lives in Anna Maria.

“We were probably one of the poorest families on the Island,” he said of those early years.

As a youngster, Haddix spent much of his time at the youth center that would later become The Center of Anna Maria Island.

“That’s where our brothership grew,” he said of the enduring relationships formed there.

Haddix graduated from Manatee High School in 1988. During his high school years, he formed a friendship with Holmes Beach resident Carol Whitmore, who for several years has served as a Manatee County commissioner.

“When I was a teenager, a lot of times I had to walk home from Manatee High School. Carol used to pick me up when I hitchhiked back to the Island. She worked as a nurse at Manatee Memorial Hospital. She’s helped me a lot with my medical issues and also with my son’s education,” Brian said.

As a single dad, Haddix raised his son, Elijah Haddix, on the Island. Elijah, now 23, lives in Winter Haven and will attend Sunday’s benefit.

Brian Haddix benefit taking place Sunday
Brian Haddix raised his son, Elijah Haddix, on Anna Maria Island. – Brian Haddix | Submitted

“Brian’s a really nice guy and I love him. I know he’s going through a tough time now and he’s had some struggles in the past,” Whitmore said. “He raised his son on his own. I was homeless when I was young. I know what it’s like to struggle, so I’ve tried to help Brian and Elijah.”

Working man

After high school, Haddix spent 10 years working for Jack Bass Marine Construction. He helped build many seawalls and docks on the Island during the 1990s. He also helped improve many of the Island’s beach access points.

Before the net ban was enacted in the mid-1990s, Brian also spent time crabbing and mullet fishing. He later spent many years working as a doorman at several local bars.

“I’ve worked at practically every bar on the Island and in west Bradenton. That’s how I got to know all the bands,” he said.

In 2010, Haddix worked on a crew that dredged several canals in Anna Maria and Holmes Beach. He said he also helped refurbish the pilings on the Anna Maria Bridge on Manatee Avenue.

Haddix administers the Anna Maria Island Locals Facebook page where he shares photos of the Island’s sunsets, wildlife, nature and more. He also shares old photos of the Island and provides historical details about the Island’s past. He also administers the MerLife Facebook page that embraces the love of water and the beauty and mystery it holds.

Bunny & Pirates adds to their bounty

Bunny & Pirates adds to their bounty

Written by Joe Hendricks on . Posted in Business, Restaurants | Bars, Retail.

CORTEZ – The expanded business operations at Bunny & Pirates Bazaar now include the Skullywags Coffee Bar and Marketplace.

The coffee bar and marketplace recently joined the live music, beer and wine service, and gift and souvenir sales that have been the staples of the eclectic business that life partners and business partners Elizabeth Shore and Jeffrey O’Connell operate at 12404 Cortez Rd. W. in Cortez.

On Jan. 31, Bunny & Pirates Bazaar celebrated the grand opening of the coffee bar and marketplace named after a beloved family member.

“We lost my brother-in-law, Tim ‘Skully’ Quinlan, a couple years ago and this is our way of honoring him,” Shore said.

“Our coffee beans are 100% Arabica from Brazil freshly roasted to order in Ybor City and then delivered to my doorstep. There’s no warehousing, so it’s always fresh, smooth and delicious,” Shore said.

“We soft-opened the coffee bar a while back and we were working out how that would work with the pub. I’m doing keto breakfasts, we have ‘grab and go’ breakfast sandwiches, yogurt, parfaits and fresh bagels, muffins and croissants, depending on what’s available that day,” Shore said.

The marketplace was originally part of the business Shore and O’Connell opened in 2018, but Mother Nature had other plans.

“When the pub was a month and a half old, I was just starting to build up the convenience store and it was doing well. But when the red tide hit, business was dead. The capital I planned to use for growing the business was used instead to pay the lease and the electric bills,” Shore explained.

“The marketplace has Boar’s Head meats and cheeses, vegetables, crackers and snacks, salads and more. We also have eggs, milk, juice, flour, rice, cans of tuna, toilet paper and things like that. It’s just the basics, but the basics done right. It’s a great convenience for the neighborhood and we have great daytime offerings for people headed to and from the Island and the beaches,” Shore said.

And that’s not all…

“About two months ago, we started doing a one-item menu in the evenings called ‘What’s for Dinner?”. It’s like coming to our house for dinner and it’s really starting to get some momentum. We’ll serve one item and an appetizer with it. We’ve done a Hawaiian beef burrito with pineapple coleslaw, a BLT with tomato soup and we’ve done chicken tacos. Now we have people calling and saying ‘what’s for dinner tonight’?” Shore said.

Bunny & Pirates features live music on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays and an open mic night with Erin McCarthy on Mondays.

Skullywags opens daily at 8 a.m. and Bunny & Pirates remains open until 10 p.m. on weekdays and until 11 or 11:30 on weekends.

“If we have a crowd, we’ll stay later,” Shore said, noting the entire business is closed on Sundays.

And there’s the gift store.

“Our gift store has some of your traditional souvenirs, but there’s also the one-of-a-kind

finds because that’s where the pirating comes in. We’re always looking for something unique. It’s a great place to find last-minute gifts or something special you want for your house. And we’re really starting to build up the stuff we get from our local artists,” Shore said.

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