SUMMER 2019 23
Mango Marley’s
STRONG
M ango Marley’s casual vibe and friendly
atmosphere were as welcoming as Mexico
Beach, itself. The restaurant was woven into
the fabric of Florida’s coolest little beach town.
That fabric unraveled, however, as Hurricane
Michael shredded the tiny city – an idyllic
coastal paradise wiped out in a single afternoon.
“This storm is not something you just bounce
back from – especially not in Mexico Beach,”
said Cathy Johnson, the owner of Mango
Marley’s. “People here can’t dust themselves
off and go back to normal. There is no normal.
Everyone’s doing the best they can.” Cathy
and her husband, Steve, rode out the storm
in Valdosta, GA. Jessica Schwark, Mango’s
Manager, her husband, Jason, and their kids
Cole and Olivia hunkered down just north of
I-10 in Chipley. While Valdosta was spared,
Chipley got hit hard. With their vehicle trapped
by fallen trees, Jessica and her family waited
three long days for “angels with chainsaws”
to cut a path to freedom. Her Mexico Beach
home in ruins, Jessica turned to Cathy for help.
“They needed a roof over their heads, and some
friends in Thomasville, GA, had an apartment,”
Cathy shared. With everybody safe and sound,
other issues came up. It was just three weeks
after the storm when they discussed reopening.
“Steve and I just wanted to feed people,” Cathy
explained, “but we left it up to Jessica and Jason.
They wanted to do it, too.” The team tracked
down a food truck, set it up in front of the old
restaurant, and began serving comfort food on
the Monday after Thanksgiving. “Since the street
address was the same, we jokingly referred to it
as Outpost #3102,” Cathy said. “Then the city
referred the donor of a huge, military-style tent
our way. That sealed it, and the name stuck.”
Now, Outpost #3102 t-shirts and koozies are
sold to raise money for Mexico Beach relief.
A hot meal was a luxury in post-storm Mexico
Beach, and demand was overwhelming. Jessica
quickly expanded the menu to include breakfast
sandwiches, biscuits & gravy, meat loaf and stirfry.
Now, even favorites from Mango Marley’s
original menu, like the Marley Burger and Philly,
are served. The Outpost is open from 8:00am
to 8:00pm for breakfast, lunch and dinner daily.
“Considering what the building went through,”
Cathy said, “it held up pretty well, but the roof
failed. We lost almost everything.” Opening the
walk-in cooler after days without power was a
terrifying prospect. “We decided to remove it in
one piece. It didn’t really work out,” Cathy dryly
stated. “The bottom fell out, the walls collapsed,
and spoiled food went everywhere.” It was, by
all accounts, disgusting.
Things are cleaned up now, though, and work
on the restaurant continues. Cathy and Jessica
can’t wait to get back inside, and are committed
to adapting the business to meet the needs of
the community. “Mango Marley’s may never
be exactly what it was before,” said Cathy. “For
now, we’re just putting things back together and
trying to help out.” Forgotten Coast Strong.
SOMEHOW STILL STANDING
MANGO MARLEY’S OUTPOST #3102
SOUTHBOUND FROM GEORGIA POST-STORM
MARLEY BURGERS ARE BACK ON THE MENU!