Foundation species recovery is often assumed to restore associated communities to their pre-disturbance state. However, community dynamics may differ due to species-specific responses, altered environmental conditions, or changes in biotic interactions that can override the influence of the recovering foundation species. In a 14-year experiment, we studied the loss and recovery of giant kelp and its associated rocky reef community. Alongside reference plots, we removed giant kelp for 6–7 years, then tracked recovery for another 6–7 years. After cessation of removal, giant kelp and community (understory macroalgae and sessile invertebrates) biomass rapidly converged on the reference condition. However, the composition of the community diverged from the starting point, indicating that recovery of community biomass can disguise species turnover in response to foundation species recovery. Our results highlight how stochastic forces can overwhelm the influence of foundation species to determine the structure of communities when recovering from disturbance.