Some restaurants in Miami-Dade, Broward counties opt to stay open during storm

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – A couple restaurants in Miami-Dade and Broward counties have chosen to stay open during Hurricane Irma.

The owner of Chico's restaurant at 4070 W 12th Ave. in Hialeah told Local 10 News reporter Liane Morejon that his restaurant stayed open throughout Hurricane Andrew, despite losing power, and he plans to do the same for Hurricane Irma.

Chico's opened its doors in 1980 and the 24-hour establishment has never closed.

The restaurant was still relatively packed Saturday morning as the area was not yet experiencing heavy wind or rain. 

The owner told Morejon that he is not forcing his employees to stay during the storm if they don't want to, but he will be there no matter what.

Every other business in the same shopping plaza was boarded up and shut down ahead of the storm. 

Meanwhile, the owner of Miyi La Cubanita Cuban Cafe at 1553 E. Sample Road in Pompano Beach said his restaurant will also be open during the storm.

"Well, right now, they (the current conditions) don't seem to be too bad," Gene Petilli said. "A band just came through here. It was sunny and bright a few minutes ago and the rain just came through, but it has stopped, as we can see. So the bands are starting to make their way through."

Petilli is originally from New York, but moved to South Florida in the early 1990s.

"It looks like we might get a little lucky here, and not get it as bad as we thought originally, but we still got to be prepared," Petilli said. 

Local 10 News reporter Madeleine Wright said a Mexican restaurant across the street from the Cuban cafe was also open Saturday.

Download the Local 10 Hurricane Survival Guide and the Max Tracker mobile app for iOS and ANDROID. 


About the Authors:

Liane Morejon is an Emmy-winning reporter who joined the Local 10 News family in January 2010. Born and raised in Coral Gables, Liane has a unique perspective on covering news in her own backyard.

Amanda Batchelor is the Digital Executive Producer for Local10.com.