Problems persist for Two Guys Restaurant

Capped gas lines prevent new location from opening

MIAMI – Despite a $260,000 grant to build a new location for the owner of a burger restaurant, her new space may never open. 

"Roll it up the old fashioned way," said Shirley Meadows, owner of Two Guys Restaurant at 1205 NW 3rd Avenue. "To be honest with you, the people is the one that named it the 'Ghetto Burger.'"

Meadows can sell 50 burgers a day, but is still waiting for her new space to open, which received the grant from the Miami Community Redevelopment Agency. It should have opened in February.

"It's been a lot of ups and downs and [I've] been patiently waiting," she said.

According to the CRA, when the avenue was beautified years ago, the underground gas lines were capped. No one realized it until Two Guys was ready to open.

"We hired a contractor," said CRA Director Clarence Woods. "The due diligence that you're talking about... that is the responsibility of the contractor."

Woods said the Florida Department of Transportation wants to widen the highway overpass across the street, and if the state needs the property, Two Guys' new location would be torn down.

"Nothing was ever mentioned about taking properties on the south side of the current structure," he added.

"I think they should have known this before," said Meadows.

Woods said he wants FDOT to reimburse the CRA if the new Two Guys' location is torn down.