NAPLES, Fla. — The Black Eyed Pig in Naples will close its doors for the final time on Saturday due to the recent passing of the owner, Carl Osburn, and financial reasons.
Long-time customers and staff members told Fox 4 what made this place special:
Walking into The Black Eyed Pig, you can feel the love that made this restaurant more than just a place to eat.
"This is a place out of a novel or a film," Tim Bauer said.
The restaurant became a gathering spot where connections were made and memories created.
"Just kind of wandered in, the food was great and the people made you stay," Tim Bauer said.
Carl, the owner, had a special gift for bringing people together.
"I think that was Carl's gift, he connected people," Tim Bauer said.
For the staff, The Black Eyed Pig was more than a workplace – it was a family.
"We all became a family," one employee said.
"Best boss I ever had" another staff member said.
All you have to do was ask, but one thing is certain, nobody had anything bad to say about Carl.
"Extraordinary," "an entrepreneur," and "a good soul", are just some of the words customers used to describe Carl.
His fiance, Wendy Easton, couldn't describe him in one word.
"There isn't one word, he was my rock," Easton said.
Despite the sadness surrounding the closure, there's a sense of gratitude for what The Black Eyed Pig meant to the community.
"It's time to put it to bed and thank Carl for everything he gave to it, it's just time," Easton said.
The Black Eyed Pig leaves behind a legacy of good food and even better relationships.
"It's a success story of a restaurant, it's much more than getting a bite to eat," Bauer said. "It's really a place where we've met so many people and made so many memories."
