Punta Gorda Airport offers $200K incentive for restaurateur

The people at Punta Gorda Air Center are hungry for a restaurant, so airport officials say they are willing to provide $200,000 for someone willing to operate a full-service restaurant, bar and caterer there.

Located on the north side of the Punta Gorda Airport (PGD) campus, the Punta Gorda Air Center is home to fixed-base operators. The 13,500-square-foot building houses aviation tenants, a pilot lounge, offices, conference and events rooms, and parking. It opened in 2022. At the time, officials said a Rosati’s Pizza franchise was going to open there.

So far, airport authorities say $400,000 has been put into the partial buildout of the restaurant, including a variety of kitchen equipment like a pizza oven as well as framing, natural gas line, rough electrical and plumbing.

Spanning more than 2,800 square feet, the restaurant features wall-to-wall windows with views of runways. It can be combined with an adjacent 534-square-foot rentable events room, officials say.

Once buildout is complete and a certificate of occupancy is issued, PGD is offering to reimburse the new restaurant operator $200,000.

In pitching the restaurant, PGD officials say there is no other competitive sit-down establishment in a 3-mile radius. They note that PGD had more than 100,000 takeoffs and landings in 2023, and nearly half used the PGD Air Center’s amenities and facilities. In addition, authorities say 1,600 employees work at the airport daily, more than 1,000 work in the industrial areas nearby, and nearly 7,500 homes are planned just south of PGD.

A pre-proposal conference for the restaurant will be held at 10 a.m. Nov. 20 in the Charlotte County Airport Authority Board Room Building 313, 7375 Utilities Road, Punta Gorda, behind the sheriff’s office. 

The PGD Air Center offers a virtual tour of the restaurant space and invites bids until 2 p.m. Jan. 29, 2025.