Portofino's Restaurant on Singer Island

In spite of some residents in this City as well as the Lake Worth Herald always crying about our beach merchants not paying market rent, (they are operating in a dilapidated building--does that matter?) at least the City of Lake Worth is looking out for our merchants unlike the City of Rivera Beach. We care about our business owners at the beach--their long-time existence and contribution to our community and attracting tourism to the Lake Worth beach.

Portofino’s Restaurant situated right smack in the center of the Singer Island Ocean Mall has been there as long as many of our current beach merchants have been at our Casino. Catalfumo is building a 60,000 square foot mall with shops and restaurants as well as a small 150 room hotel. The City of Riviera Beach voted on this and the developer, Catalfumo, blocked the owner’s access to his own restaurant two years ago. Having 12 years left to go on his Lease, he, therefore, finally stopped paying rent this past September, and now his restaurant has closed for good. Thank God we now have sensible Commissioners in our City that would never allow something like this to happen.

Portofino’s was one of my favorite restaurants when I lived there...always serving great food and wine at affordable prices. It was a beach restaurant, not fancy, but it sure had some ambiance. It was a very popular restaurant. Riviera Beach did not give a hoot that Portofino’s was there for all those years.

Mr. Kedmi, the owner, should move to Lake Worth where 99.9% of our people do care and where our present Commission does too.