On paper, it looked like a 4-0 vote by the Palm Coast City Council to approve a new, 5-year lease agreement with the Green Lion Cafe at the city-owned Palm Harbor Golf Club, pending a 10-day deadline for the Green Lion to sign on.
In reality, it was one of the more rancid segments of a Palm Coast City Council meeting in a while, in a room that’s seen its share of rancid moments over the past two years. Green Lion owner Tony Marlow on two occasions called city officials “a bunch of crooks” before walking out. His son Chris Marlow, who runs the restaurant, was almost thrown out of the room.
The city added another roughly $1,000 a month to the restaurant’s obligations, increasing those to $3,000 a month. It preserved other items in the lease that the restaurant raised questions about. And the Green Lion now has 10 days either to take it or leave it.
If it leaves it, the city will terminate the existing arrangement with the Green Lion and issue a request for proposals, inviting other companies to make a pitch for the space. In sum, relations between the city and the Green Lion reached their lowest ebb in 15 months of negotiations this morning. A resolution is still possible. But it did not appear likely.
“I feel that this is a deliberate effort between Palm Coast staff to undermine my business,” Tony Marlow told the council. “For some reason you want us out of there. I don’t know what we’ve ever done to you people. We’ve only ever done what you’ve asked. What agenda you have, I have no idea. Why you want to get rid of us, I have no idea. We bent over backwards to help you. I’ve been accused of being a robber, of backstreet dealing. It’s fake news. What you have given is fake news to the public. You should be ashamed of yourselves.”
When the timer beeped, signaling the end of Marlow’s three minutes, and Alfin thanked him for his comment, Marlow shot back: “Thank me? Thank me, indeed. We’ve slugged out guts out for five years.” Alfin tried to cut him off. “You’re putting 30 people out of work,” Marlow said, waving off the mayor, before accusing the city of being “a bunch of crooks.”
That, and Marlow twice pointing at Jason DeLorenzo, the city’s development director and lead negotiator on the lease, didn’t sit well with Council member Eddie Branquinho.
“I personally don’t see any deliberate effort to throw you out of there. I don’t see it,” Branquinho told Marlow later in the segment, explaining that he had not contacted Marlow or others at the Green Lion because he’d been advised to leave negotiations in city staff’s hands. “But now being called the crook I don’t think you should even be in this room right now.”
“Well done. Thank you very much,” Marlow said from the floor. “This is disgusting. I’m leaving. Bunch of crooks.”
Mayor David Alfin had sent repeated signals during the meeting, in an email he’d sent Marlow Monday afternoon and in an interview around the same time, that his patience with the restaurant had all but run out.
“If the profit and loss of the operation are not in line with your expectations, we should accept that the venture does not satisfy both parties’ expectations and undermines the potential for long term success,” the mayor said today, at the end of the discussion. “It is my sincere hope that you are able to accept the agreement so we can move forward together and serve the community.”
He then passed the gavel to Branquinho and made a motion to approve the agreement, with a 50-50 price share on water and sewer costs, and with the 10-day deadline.
When Neysa Borkert, the city attorney, offered a 10 to 15 day window, Alfin immediately said it would be 10 days: another indication of his vanishing patience–just as he had cut off Chris Marlow at the three minute mark earlier.
“You’re just going to kick us out?” Chris Marlow said from the floor. “Welcome to negotiating with the city of Palm Coast. This is it, right here.” Branquinho had the gavel, so he was in charge of the meeting at that point. Alfin sat back. Branquinho tried to gavel Marlow down. “Say whatever you want to say, we don’t even get a chance,” Marlow continued. Branquinho warned him. “You’re going to kick me out now instead of in 10 days? What have I ever done? Why won’t you even talk to us?”
Law enforcement swept in around Marlow. “If he comes down, please let him stay,” Branquinho said. Marlow calmed down. Branquinho then called for the vote: 4-0.
It had been Branquinho who’d started the discussion 40 minutes earlier, after a brief presentation by DeLorenzo, again showing his displeasure with the proposed lease. “This deal was no good for this side. My opinion. Right now it’s good for one side,” Branquinho said. He said he would vote for the new arrangement only if water and sewer costs were shared–not if the city continued to subsidize them.
The city is using less than half the water, in DeLorenzo’s estimation. But the future cost of utilities is not yet known. The city is conducting a utility rate study. Prices will almost certainly increase. The last six months, the water bill has averaged $2,073 a month. The city’s portion is basically “toilet flushes,” in Council member Ed Danko’s words.
The city did not reach its estimate in a void. It looked at the water and sewer bills at Brass Tap and at Houligan’s, both of which are larger than Green Lion, DeLorenzo said. A more precise approach would not be feasible for the city. “It would be extremely costly to meter the entire building and then we don’t understand how you would split a shared bathroom,” DeLorenzo said.
“So if we were to split this water costs that would that would do a lot to improve our situation, I think. We wouldn’t be losing any money,” Danko said. “I would just think that would solve the problem.”
The council’s direction to DeLorenzo in March was to get the rent amount to a break-even point within 24 months. As it is, by Sept. 1, 2023, the city would start making a very small profit, based on today’s numbers. The small profit would always remain small, but would increase each year as rent would increase 3 percent.
The lease also called for other changes that would result in the Green Lion paying for propane, internet, phone and the power bill. At that point the Marlows had not spoken. Branquinho wondered how the Green Lion would react to being asked to pay half the water bill.
Chris Marlow walked up to the podium during public comment, and was told he’d have three minutes. “Even though it’s about our lease?” he asked Alfin in disbelief.
“Correct,” the mayor told him.
Marlow said he was surprised that the item was on the agenda to start with, after the Green Lion filed its response to the proposed lease a few weeks ago. “The direction is to negotiate yet you are unwilling to negotiate. We have received no response from you,” he said. “I don’t want the perception of everybody listening today, everybody watching today and everybody that will read this on the news later, that we have been disagreeable, that we have not agreed to what the city has asked, and that we are holding up these negotiations in any way.”
Borkert later would pointedly note that in the last month there’d been “approximately between 10 and 15 emails between myself and the Green Lion’s attorney going back and forth on drafts and discussion on this,” she said. “So that was just in the last month before that. The last couple of months before that there were even more I had phone calls with him. Two weeks ago, I was notified that he was no longer engaging with discussions back and forth between him and I on this lease. So that was the last time we had any correspondence with one another.” DeLorenzo also invited the Marlows to the negotiating table on June 1. He did not get a response.
To Chris Marlow, the Green Lion had agreed to a fair market rent of $2,000 a month, up from $600, payment of various bills, patio heaters bought at the city’s request, a $6,000 point of sale computer system, assumption of certain building maintenance costs, and other items. “What have you agreed to that we have asked. Please give me a few examples?” he said, questioning whether it was a partnership. (The city has in fact agreed to let the restaurant shorten its hours and shorten them, to keep the city from requiring a published menu, and to not ask for the operation’s financial numbers, even though it would be in the city’s right to do so.)
Just then the beep signaled the end of Marlow’s three minutes. He asked Alfin for extra time. Alfin said no.
“So that’s it, huh? 15 months–three minutes,” Marlow said as he picked up his documents and walked back to his seat.
Linda Provencher, for many years the mayor of Flagler Beach–and for many years an employee at the Golden Lion, a Marlow property–could not understand why the Marlows were limited to three minutes as she began her own. “They’ve tried to make this work,” Provencher said. “I think they bent as far as they should bend, and maybe you guys can work with this business that has been successful. And that’s the only reason they’re being punished, is because they are successful. One of you mentioned Jon Netts a couple weeks ago.” Netts is the late former mayor of Palm Coast who cherished the restaurant over the years, until his death a year and a half ago. “Jon Netts loved this place. His wife had his memorial service there. Jon Netts would be shaking his head right now.”
It was then that Tony Marlow walked up to speak. He told the council that the city turned a concession agreement into a lease. (The city’s document refers to it as a “Concession Lease Agreement.”) He raised the specter of the city potentially charging the restaurant property taxes. (Borkert cautioned that while the lease includes a place-holder clause to that effect, the likelihood that anyone would pay property taxes was slim.)
“Stop telling us that we use more water than you,” Tony Marlow said, noting how the premises’ water is used “two or three times a week” to wash down the nearby canoes used by the rowing club. “We serve maybe 100 people a day. You have 200 or 300 on that golf course. Everyone drinks water. Everyone uses the bathroom. Everyone uses the ice machine. Stop telling us that we use all the water.” He said the only time he heard from the city was when Denise Bevan, the city manager, asked him for his financial numbers at 10 p.m. on a Friday night, a request, he said, she had “no right to do.”
His voice rose, his finger-pointing increased, and he dropped the “bunch of crooks” line.
It wasn’t like in mid-February, when the council’s chamber was thronged with Green Lion supporters–a show of support that reversed the council’s decision a week earlier to end its lease with the restaurant. The chamber was mostly empty today, but the few who did speak, including two other Flagler Beach restaurant owners, including Oceanside’s John Lulgjuraj and Tortugas’s Scott Fox, cautioned the council against losing the Green Lion. Fox called it being “penny smart and dollar foolish,” given the asset that the restaurant represents at the moment, and the difficult economic environment.
But in the end council members did not consider their position unreasonable, and the meeting segment’s tenor did not give them reason to change course so much as to stand their ground.
The proposed lease and history:
green-lion-concession-lease
Wow says
Such a disgrace. Palm Coast city council should be ashamed. Who the heck will want this space now? Who the heck wants this headache? I don’t follow their logic at all. Is there any logic?
Leila says
Betting a developer is looking at this site. That is what is likely going on here. Big money talks. A restaurant, even a five star will lose.
Percy's mother says
The Green Lion (Cafe) received TWO (2) PPP loans totaling over $170,000 in 2020 and 2021. FREE MONEY.
That’s FREE MONEY folks from the federal government. Off the backs of the taxpayers. $170,000.00 FREE MONEY which they will never have to pay back.
That’s in addition to operating their Green Lion Cafe under the sweetheart deal they’ve had with the City of Palm Coast for several years.
Basically the owners of the Green Lion (Cafe) have been living off the local and federal dole.
Now the City of Palm Coast wants to revise their dole, and the owners of Green Lion (Cafe) don’t like it one bit, and have resorted to name calling and public temper tantrums.
Time to man-up and operate as a small business without the Palm Coast taxpayers footing the bill.
I do not feel sorry for them. Total it all up folks . . . $170,000.00 free federal money that doesn’t have to be paid back plus the City of Palm Coast picking up the cost of a large part of their operating costs.
TrumpIsATraitor says
Percy’s Mom should get her facts right. That PPP money went to employees pay. Employees that were paid when no one was dining at any of the Marlowes restaurants. Maybe Percy’s Mom should take over the double wide at the golf course and serve SPAM to the members of the Palm Coast City Council.
UlTRA MAGA says
When the Green Lion closes watch the golfer leave because extra money for golf and a dinner are in short supply thanks to Biden ‘Green New Deal’ Economic Policy!
TrumpIsATraitor says
Awesome. Blame Biden when the 100% Republican City Council screws up a lease agreement.
The voice of reason says
Ultra maga, the green new deal did not pass and is therefore not in effect. What planet are you living on? Percy’s mom, the restaurant industry was hit extremely hard. Payroll protection was the correct policy to follow. Lastly, trump in 4 years had a gdp of 1 .0, the worst since hoover and the depression. Trump’s deficit was 7.9 trillion in 4 years. Most of which piled up before COVID. He bragged he’d eliminate the whole national debt in 2 terms. Not quite. Trump’s job creation in 4 years was negative 3.1 million. His butchered handling of COVID doomed his results. Biden is near 7 million already. Bill Clinton had 18 million. More than reagan. Trumpers live in a bizarre reality.
The dude says
Which of the enacted policies of this “New Green Deal” thingy are specifically to blame for inflation?
Thanks in advance.
Dave says
Hate to tell ya, its not just golfers who eat there.
Mark says
“‘Green New Deal’ Economic Policy!” where is this you dribble about? I’ve not even heard it passing the House or Senate. Oh it’s #45 and his blind loyalists way of keeping each other clueless.
Tom H says
So five Republicans (the PC City Council) let the golf course fall into dire straits, and it’s Joe Biden’s fault for not bailing their sorry Republican asses out?
You have a point, it is often Joe Biden’s job to babysit the absolute disasters that Republicans elect in this country.
Heathen Lady says
So sick of Trumpers spreading Fake News!
Duncan says
I don’t think the City Council demands are unreasonable.
Both parties need to sit down one last time and try to sort things out. The Marlow’s have been getting a near free-ride and that should not be tolerated by the city or its tax payers; regardless of the hard work and success of the Marlows.
Fore! says
Looks like the government gravy train is coming to an end, and they’re fighting tooth and nail to keep their “profits” rolling in.
How about this… Doesn’t Palm Harbor have an HOA? Extract portions from that to fund the restaurant. Or create the HOA if it doesn’t exist. Then lease or sell to the HOA. Why the hell would anyone not living in Palm Harbor really ever go out of their way to someplace like this just to eat? With European Village a short piss away? Additionally, run it as a not-for-profit (or through the HOA). Let’s all see what the true colors of the lessees really are. For the employees, right? So get a 501(c)3 and put other people’s money where your mouth is.
These folks have realized their capital gains and associated depreciations, both of which were likely shielding and/or funding the location that really mattered. Straight out of Trump’s playbook. They’re just mad the gub’ment got a clue and finally called out their shellgame bullshit.
Tired of it says
What are you talking about? A lot on nonsense gobbledygook. What HOA? Really? Run it as a non profit? Why woud anybody want to put the time and effort and make no profit? Sounds like you got your degree in business from trump U.
Dave says
The Palm Harbor HOA has nothing to do with a city run golf course.
Fore! says
Ya crosseyed dumbasses, reread what I said. If there is no HOA, create it, make the residents of the neighborhood, those that care the most, have a vested interest in the property. I would if I lived there!
Also, roll all over this city, from restaurant to restaurant, and every last one of them are paying THOUSANDS a month in rent! Then there’s utilities. Why in the holy hell should anyone get any kind of deal on that property to run a for-profit business. Sell it to a neighborhood HOA, or open it up for bid, with minimums no doubt. How else would you suggest we pay for the council’s pay raise?!
Carolyn says
The city runs their business out of the same building that the Green Lion does. Both businesses use all the utilities, with the exception of the propane. What the city is asking of the Marlows is not only to pay rent (which they are fine with), but also pay ALL of the utilities. The city only wants to pay half the water. Now if the Green Lion is paying all of the bills including $3,000 in rent. That means not only is the city saving money on all the utilities that they are no longer paying, but still using, they are also clearing revenue from the rent. This does not include all the revenue from the golf course sales.
Skibum says
I’ve never been more disgusted at the Palm Coast city council and mayor than I am right now! Throughout this debacle, the city has shown its true colors, and what really sticks out to me is that businesses cannot and should not trust the current city leadership. I will warn others who might be looking at a business agreement with the current city administration. If this is the end of the Green Lion at its current location, I just hope the Marlows find a suitable location nearby where they can re-establish this wonderful gem of a restaurant… somewhere that is more appreciative for all that they have done to shore up the city’s golf course for the past several years since the failure of the city run food stand that was there prior to that. The Marlows and their business deserve much better than they received from the city today! Palm Coast businesses beware!
carrie says
Dear Mayor Alfin, My name is Carrie, I have been an employee of the Marlow’s since they took over the restaurant at the Palm Harbor Golf Course. I had been employed at Canfield’s since 2010. When I heard someone was coming in to take over the restaurant I was very upset thinking I would be out of a job. However, before the Marlow’s took over they came in and offered ALL of Canfield’s employees a job on the spot! Never would I have imagined that anyone would actually be that considerate and caring to people they didn’t even know. Fast forward to present day, the Marlows have been THE best bosses I have ever worked for. We are not just employees to them, they treat us all like family. When covid hit they made sure we were all financially and emotionally getting by. They would check in periodically to make sure we were not in need of anything and to reassure us that they were there for us and we would all get through this together. Then multiple times the restaurant had to close for repairs. Again, we were all out of work, but not to worry the Marlow’s had our backs financially even though they did not have revenue coming in at the time., I have had a very rough year from medical and personal reasons. I have suffered from extreme financial and emotional stress and Chris has been there for me every step of the way. Constantly checking in on me and my children. I do not know many “bosses” that care so much for their employees. The Marlows are an asset to Flagler county in so many ways. Not only do they employ over a hundred employees between their two restaurants, but they also give back financially to the community. They donate to multiple sports teams and schools every year! You don’t hear them bragging about it or even mentioning it during any of this, because that is not the type of people they are. They do these things because they absolutely love their community and the people in it! I do not believe the Marlows in any way shape or form are asking for too much. I do believe that both sides can come to an agreement if understanding and respect was shown both ways. They are not just fighting for themselves, they see all of their employees’ faces and their families while they are up there so of course they are passionate in their words. Having been at the restaurant since 2010 I know that the floors have been “patched” several times from us falling through them. The amount of water that the golfer’s consume for free with styrofoam cups, lids, and straws provided by the golf course is insane. Maybe instead of nickel and diming the Marlows to death you could consider not providing something to adults for free that is not even provided at the elementary school. My 9 year old knows if she doesn’t bring her water bottle to schooI then she is out of luck. I also know since the Marlows took over the restaurant, business for the golf course itself has boomed. Word of the restaurant brought people to the golf course that never knew it was there or assumed it was a private course. Now many of those people frequent the golf course thanks to the Marlows. The golfer’s themselves have become like family to us and us to them, this is why so many people came out in force to support them. I personally have heard many golfers say they will go elsewhere if the Marlows are no longer there. People like to feel special when they frequent somewhere and the Marlows and its employees have made that happen for many. My mother always said “it’s not over until it’s over”, so I had to speak my mind and hopefully let you see all this from another light outside of the formalities and legal mumbo jumbo. The Green Lion is not just a restaurant, it is a second home to it’s employees and many of it’s customers. Some things are worth way more than any price tag. Sincerely, A very loyal employee
The dude says
Beautifully articulated.
But Ed Danko and crew voted themselves a big fat raise recently, and it ain’t gonna pay for itself…
Skibum says
What a heartfelt testimonial, Carrie! I just hope the people who really need to see your story, each of the city council members and the mayor, and other city administration staff who have been involved in the lease negotiations, take the time not only to read it but to do some soul searching about the way they have been steering this “negotiation” toward disaster for both parties. My family and I have been coming to the Green Lion for as long as it has been open. I have a disabled family member confined to a wheelchair, and his dad usually joins us for dinner, sometimes breakfast on the outdoor deck. In fact, we were there again last night for dinner. I have never worked for the Marlows and don’t know the family personally except for friendly conversations with Chris stopping by our table to say hi and ask how our meals were. You and the other restaurant staff have been wonderful… professional and also friendly and we very much enjoy dining there. There is a stark reality when you compare side by side the attitudes and unwillingness to make adequate accommodations by the city against the type of attitudes AND willingness to make accommodations by the Marlows to ensure that their dedicated, valued employees are taken care of, even when their restaurants have been shut down during the pandemic. The Marlows’ community involvement is well known. That is EXACTLY the type of business, the type of family run, local business any community should be proud to have, and yet, here we are, with the city pushing them toward the end of the gang plank, in essence telling them to either sink or swim, sayonara. Well, I’ll take the Marlows over the current city foolishness any day of the week because the only thing the city is accomplishing is biting their nose off to spite their face.
ULTRA MAGA says
This is REALLY what the Green Lion is all about! $600 to $2,000 than to $3,000 is a CRAZY increase! With Biden’s Inflation (Fuel and Food); it is Very Hard for any business to earn a profit!
James says
Hum, I think UM here might be a bot… note that he hit the lower case ‘l’ in his “name” the last time he posted. That could be an intentionally programmed random deviation. Note the use of a recurrent thematic end phrase involving Biden with a twist… as seen many times elsewhere. Very effective at irritating both a real “human” Biden supporter… and anyone else I suppose who peruses the comments sections of these various news pieces.
I guess posing questions back to it could be effective, but I think it best to ignore it… just my opinion.
Big Mike says
To Percy’s mother…you don’t have a clue about the PPP Program. The Paycheck Protection Program established by the CARES Act, is implemented by the Small Business Administration with support from the Department of the Treasury. This program provides small businesses with funds to pay up to 8 weeks of payroll costs including benefits. Hundreds of business in Flagler County took advantage of this program during Covid-19, trough May 2021, when it ended.
You can look up public information at https://www.federalpay.org/paycheck-protection-program. The Marlow’s used this money to protect 80 employee’s pay during this difficult time. Any inference by you that the Marlow’s were doing something inappropriate is completely ridiculous, and only shows your complete lack of knowledge.
Domino’s Pizza Corp Office at 160 Cypress Point Pkw ,Palm Coast, FL 32164 received $2.9 millions dollars to protect 500 jobs, hope you contacted them about the Palm Coast taxpayers footing the bill. ( which they DO NOT)
Edith Campins says
I wonder which of the council members cronies want the location? What all of the commenters are overlooking is that the place was a dump before the Marlow’s took it over. They made it what it is. Watch some low cost bidder take it over, with the blessing of the city council, and run it into the ground.
Donald J Trump says
I would be very interested in taking over the entire operation, restruant, golf course, canoe rentals, cart rentals. I will put up an appropriate sign with my name on it. I’m wiling to assume all risks except financial if you rent me the hole operation for $1,000 per month with the stipulation that the city builds 25 houses that I can rent to my Secret Service detail. I will also require the total income from cart rentals,5 of which can only be used my security detail. A beauty salon and plastic surgery center will also be required for my daughter and my Comunist Escorts private use. The city will also extent the runway to handled my private et and those of my golfing buddies, of course free fueling needs to be provided. Please contact Eric or Junior to finalize the details.
Laura H says
Palm Coast has no idea how to run a business, except how to run it out of town! Town center now 20yrs later is subsidized apartment complexes & government offices, there’s still no Neighborhood Walmart, most plazas are dead (roma court, city marketplace, etc, etc) & the city can’t even run a golf course sustainably or maintenance a public pool or keep a kiddie splash pad going.
Fact is the only reason Green Lion was able to make it work in the city’s delapitated trailer with zero signage was because of their good name & fact they have a larger operation elsewhere and bills were in balance . They were one of the few small restaurant business success stories Palm coast actually has (had?) The original lease was written accordingly to the property history of repeat tenant failures and unstable golf course traffic.
“Al fun” & City crooks will soon have things back their way: failed tenants and ailing golf course. Same story, different day.
Alexander says
PC taxpayers lets not forget this Mayor doesn’t care about what the taxpayers in PC want he is the most corrupt Mayor this town has ever had and for those that voted for him you all should be ashamed of yourselves.
protonbeam says
Its sad – but the worst is yet to come. Completely inexperienced and incompetent City management – a turtle biologist and a parks manager are now your leadership. Major recession coming and I am sure no planning is being done to manage operations, cut costs and focus on core government. Its nuts and PC will suffer this foolishness, but hey the council got raises! Staff got raises!
Linda Morgan says
My heart goes out to the Marlows. They put their hearts and souls into their restaurants, making changes and improvements constantly. The commissioners are running these negotiations like a court proceeding. Imagine the prosecutors having all the time in the world to state their opinions and the defendant on trial getting 3 minutes for it’s defense. What a sham!! I hope you get sued for legal costs from not negotiating in good faith.
CC says
When the Green Lion leaves the golf course will go back to being a wasteland. The only reason people started going there was because of the restaurant. Without that, golfers will go elsewhere and Palm Harbor will lose millions until they stop caring for the course again.
Gus says
Go there someday to see who actually eats there. There are very few if any golfers who stay there to eat. All older women who have no interest in golf. So don’t think that golfers will leave because they won’t. People golf at palm harbor because of the course conditions not because of the overpriced restaurant.
carrie says
You are very mistaken. There are ALOT of golfers that not only eat there after golf, but also come in for dinner with their families.
Robert & Cindi says
City council is shitting on the Marlowe’s. We go there weekly for the wonderful service, food, and entertainment. Over the years we have come to know Chris and several staff members personally. We have established relationships which are meaningful.
We first starting going there because my son was taking lessons from Donna Serino, who is not only a terrific golf pro, Donna is a truly wonderful person.
Gee, can’t see where this is headed. Remember when the proposal came up about turning the driving range into condos?
I suppose we will find out in a couple years who made a killing off of this shitstorm
Well said Carrie
James says
By the way, how’s the petition for the repeal of the pay raises going?
Melanie says
What was making money in that location before the Marlowes moved in? I’m sorry, did you say “Nothing”? If the city isn’t selling the golf course property and everything on it to developers, then they deserve to lose their butts here. Because if I was the Marlowes, I’d say “thanks but no thanks” and continue putting all my time and effort into the fabulous Golden Lion in Flagler Beach. The city of Palm Coast doesn’t deserve them.
Joan says
We live in the area and that golf course was failing. The area was becoming run down and it was only after the Green Lion came in and patiently went about their work , building that business and clientele, that the course itself came back. Covid closed everything down but when it reopened, the place was booming. That restaurant brings people, it’s not the other way around. This city will learn the hard way after alienating good people. Again. Not sure how these council members can be so short sighted over and over again.
Gus says
I rent here in palm coast. Between my rent and utilities the nut is over 2g a month. Now the Marlowes were paying 600 a month with no utilities and making money on top of it. Where are you going to find a deal like that, I could live there at that price. I agree with city council, it’s time to pay the going rate . But ole Chrissy boy wants his cake and eat it too. Time for the Marlowes to stop bitching and pay their fair share.