Summer in South Florida is marked by many things: hurricanes, heat, humidity, and for many years, local restaurants shutting their doors until the snowbirds returned with the start of fall tourist “season.”
When times were flush and money flowed through restaurants like mojitos on Ocean Drive, those summertime closings become more infrequent. Now, when money flows through restaurants like mojitos at a temperance convention, that tradition is starting to be revived.
At least three local eateries have put a cork in it until October or November:Testa’s in Palm Beach and Safire Asian Fusion and Nick’s Apizza in Lake Worth. The first two have the advantage of years in business and a local following. Nick’s, a sweet little downtown pizzeria specializing in crisp-crusted New Haven-style pies, has struggled to find its niche since opening earlier this year.
These “temporary” closures often have a way of becoming permanent, especially when making a go of the restaurant business is tougher than a shoe-leather sandwich. Let’s hope in these cases temporary really does mean temporary.
