Finally, Fort Myers Beach residents will have a place on the island to purchase everyday household items. Graham Belger, the owner of The Goodz Hardware Store is opening a 20 by 35 foot trailer this Monday with an assist from the owners of the Sea Gypsy.
Belger has owned The Goodz since 2013, having just celebrated his 9th year in September of 2022. The building has been home to a hardware store on Fort Myers Beach for decades. It was called Jay’s General Store before Belger purchased it and changed the name to The Goodz. A slugline was added under the new store name; “Your Island Everything Store.”
The store offered more than hardware. Tourists could also get Fort Myers Beach t-shirts, beach gear and some of the best ice cream on the island. And if there was something a local resident needed and Belger didn’t have it in stock, he’d make sure to get it for the customer the next time they came in. Residents would often say if The Goodz didn’t sell it, you didn’t need it.
Like nearly every structure on Fort Myers Beach, hurricane Ian delivered a devastating blow to The Goodz on September 28th, gutting the building at 1741 Estero Boulevard. Nearly everything inside was sucked out of the building and lost during the category 4 storm. Here are the before and after photos of the building
So how did the idea for a trailer come about?
One afternoon Sea Gypsy owners Jacki Liszak and Scott Safford saw Belger standing by his beaten up building last November and asked him what he was going to do. At the time, he had no idea. Liszak and Safford told Belger he could set up trailers on the old Sea Gypsy location while they all try to figure out how they will rebuild. The Sea Gypsy is almost directly across Estero Boulevard from where the broken Goodz building now sits.
Belger says he’s stocked up on hardware supplies, souvenirs, t-shirts, drinks and snacks and he even has an ice machine. The ice alone will no doubt be a hot item on the island. They are also hoping to have propane tanks soon too.
Belger, who grew up on Fort Myers Beach, but has lived off the island since 2016 says the hours will be Monday through Saturday 8AM to 5PM.