Customers 'Heartbroken' As Landmark Miami Beach Restaurant David's Cafe Cafecito Closes For Good
MIAMI BEACH (CBSMiami) -- David's Cafe Cafecito, a landmark restaurant in Miami Beach, is closing its doors Monday after 42 years.
"It is with a heavy heart that I must deliver this message to you all and by far one of the hardest decisions we have had to make for our family business," wrote the restaurant's owners in a Facebook post.
Owner Adrian Gonzalez said he and his family tried to hang on, but the struggles amid the coronavirus pandemic proved to be too much for their beloved Cuban restaurant.
"We just had to make the hard decision that we can't continue like this," said Gonzalez, whose parents started the family business in 1977. "One of the hardest calls was calling my mother to tell her the restaurant is unfortunately going to have to close."
On Monday, loyal customers stopped by the restaurant at 919 Alton Road for one last cafecito or breakfast.
"It's very disappointing. David's is a landmark on South Beach," said customer David Hundley.
"It's heartbreaking," said Gerry Goldstein, who said he's been going to the restaurant 7 days a week for decades. "I've lived on the beach over 60 years and I've been coming to David's for 40 years, let's say."
Gonzalez said he hopes once the worst of the pandemic is over, his family can reopen in a new location. But on Monday, he said he's really unsure what the future holds.
