Hotel’s code violations affect business at Hurricane Charley’s restaurant in Punta Gorda

Lunch hour at Hurricane Charley’s Sushi, Raw Bar & Grill in Punta Gorda would usually be bustling with activity in the dining room and out on the deck, but business has slowed due to the hotel next door. 

General Manager Bob McCurry sat at the indoor sushi bar and glanced through windows at the thatched-roof Hunker-Down Deck. 

“The outdoor bar would normally be packed,” he said. 

On Tuesday, Aug. 15, one man was ordering at the bar, and although some tables were filled on the deck, it wasn’t packed. 

Inside, several groups sat together in a dining area smaller than the adjoining one that is now used for storage. 

The large dining area whose common wall is shared by the hotel, suffered severe hurricane damage, and that dining area cannot be used until repairs are made, McCurry explained. 

Although the restaurant, which has a catering business and adjoining ballrooms, has booked events since Hurricane Ian, the number of bookings has dwindled. It’s all because of the property owner’s Punta Gorda Waterfront Hotel & Suites, which suffered extreme storm damage and has not yet been repaired.

To read more at Gulfshore Business, click here.