My A1 story on Oct. 30 about the reopening of a controversial restaurant in Sarasota. It was the most read story on HeraldTribune.com the day it published.

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Photo by Elaine Litherland, Herald-Tribune staff.

SARASOTA – The sign posted outside Bob’s Boathouse on South Tamiami Trail changes week to week as it has for many months: Opening soon.

The reincarnation of what was a staple Siesta Key watering hole has been a long time in the making, and if the 1,700 fans on Bob’s Boathouse Facebook page are any indication, there is plenty of interest.

“Sign on 41 says opening week of Halloween!” says a recent post.

Bob’s Boathouse, a unique spot many remember on the Intracoastal Waterway at the Siesta Key Bridge, was a popular causal spot for tourists and locals alike before it closed in 2001 to make way for a 38-unit condominium development.

More than a decade later, Tom LeFevre, the man behind Bob’s Boathouse, pledges to bring back the restaurant many residents still remember, this time at the cleared site of the former Royal Oldsmobile GMC dealership.

Tucked back on Phillippi Creek, at 5515 S. Tamiami Trail, passersby see the restaurant — but more noticeable are the shells of boats littering the parking lot as if abandoned by a rogue wave.

Those who remember the old Bob’s Boathouse have shared their memories on Facebook. People post pictures of the current site or share photos from the old spot from Stickney Point Road near Siesta Key.

The social media banter from these many patrons pose the same question over and over.

Just when is Bob’s Boathouse going to open?

Read more here.