PUNTA GORDA, Fla. — After more than three decades in downtown Punta Gorda, Dean's South of the Border is preparing for its final service this weekend.
The popular Tex-Mex restaurant has been a staple in the community since 1992, but owner Dean Stainton said years of battling hurricanes have taken their toll.
Watch Fox 4's Alex Orenczuk report on Dean's closing:
"In 2004 when we lost the original restaurant to Hurricane Charley I thought that would be the most adversity I would come across in my business career," Stainton said.
But Hurricane Charley was just the beginning. Stainton would later lose his other restaurant, Hurricane Charley's, to hurricanes Ian and Idalia. Add in a pandemic and two more storms last year, and he decided it was time to close.
"It was just too much and we're still waiting for proceeds that are owed to us," said Stainton. "My wife and I aren't getting any younger, we figured this was a good time," Stainton said.
Despite the challenges, Stainton remains grateful for the community's support over the years.
"Everyone has been really great - it's a great community as it has been since I opened my first business 42 years ago," Stainton said.
Dean's is the latest restaurant to close in Punta Gorda, following Harpoon Harry's and The Captain's Table at Fishermen's Village, which both closed earlier in June.
While Dean's will host its final celebration on Sunday, Stainton isn't leaving the restaurant business entirely. He plans to open a new café across the river in Charlotte Harbor.
"We still have our Charlotte County Flowers and our Café Bouquet, and we're getting ready to open up another small cafe in Charlotte Harbor," Stainton said.
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