BONITA SPRINGS, Fla. — It was eight months in the making, but it only lasted 8 hours.
Marc Devisse poured a lot of time and money into planning the grand opening for his new restaurant in Bonita Springs – The Seaside Bar & Grill.
But there was one thing he wasn't planning for on that opening day of March 18th – a pandemic.
After being open for just 8 hours, Marc – like so many other local restaurant owners – had to close his eat-in dining room.
"I started building the restaurant in Bonita Springs about eight months ago," Marc told us.
"We had been working extremely hard with the construction of and getting everything ready for opening."
"We opened on March 18th for St. Paddy's day for 8 hours before we were forced to shut down," Marc said.
"We had a full staff and had to let most of them go."
But Marc and his remaining crew are not giving up.
"We are currently doing 'to-go's" and third party delivery," he told us.
"We are trying to find creative ways to keep staff and grow."
"We're starting grocery service where we deliver food to your car," Marc told us.
And even though it's been a challenge for him financially, he said he's committed to supporting others.
"We're giving back to the community by donating $20 worth of food to health care providers for every $100 gift card purchased."
You can contact the Seaside Bar & Grill at (239) 288-1470 or visit their website, click here.
