Concerns over future of Edison Restaurant

Reporter: Jolena Esperto Writer: Matias Abril
Published: Updated:

Three options are on the table for the iconic Edison Restaurant, but there seems to be no consensus as to how to move forward.

The Edison Restaurant means a lot to some people.

“It’s kind of like a cheers for me,” said Kevin Mulhearn, a regular. “It’s, you know, it’s where you go, you know, everybody knows your name.”

Mulhearn has lived in Fort Myers for 25 years, and the Edison Restaurant has been a part of his life for the entire time.

Serena Gibson, regular, agrees that it is perfect for locals.

“All of McGregor, from the veterans bridge to here, it’s all homeowners here, not tourists. So, this is a place for the regulars and people that live here and grew up here,” Gibson said.

The Edison Restaurant is located within Fort Myers City Councilman Liston Bochette’s district.

Presented with three options, he ranked tearing down the old place as the best option.

Though, he said that he doesn’t really like any of the options currently on the table. He wants more information.

“There’s two parts to this decision,” Bochette said. “One is what is the best business model, and the other is what’s our best sentimental art, or as I advocate for the charm of our city, we’ve got to find a balance between the two. It’s not an easy decision.”

Edison Restaurant general manager Kevin King hopes that city council decides to give the people what they want.

“Love this business, understand this business and been successful with it, so it’s not like they’re taking a chance on this. This is a proven success, and that’s what I want to do,” King said.

On Wednesday at 4 p.m., the Edison Restaurant is holding a meeting to discuss the three proposals.

Bochette said that some sort of vote about this issue will happen on next Monday.

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