The burgers will keep cooking at Burger Bob’s after Coral Gables approves rent relief
Burger Bob’s is here to stay.
The old-school restaurant at the Granada Golf Course, 2001 Granada Blvd., in Coral Gables got a break on rent Tuesday from the city of Coral Gables. The City Commission agreed to defer $20,280.26 for rent due in 2020, about six months’ worth, through August to help keep the Gables burger joint in business.
Bob’s is nestled inside the city-owned pro shop at the Granada Golf Club, with a perfect view of the golf course. To its loyal customers, it’s an institution in the City Beautiful.
The city’s rent relief comes after months of community pressure — and a GoFundMe by regulars that has raised more than $14,000 — to help keep the cash-only diner stay afloat after it was hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic.
During the height of the pandemic, the building was shut down and the restaurant couldn’t even do takeout orders, according to Miami Herald news partner CBS4. It eventually reopened at limited capacity.
“For me and 3,000 other restaurants, we didn’t see it coming and I ran into a little bit of trouble just like the rest of them,” Bob McGuire, the restaurant’s operator for more than two decades, told CBS4 in October.
Commissioners on Tuesday also agreed to waive any late charges, fees and penalties during the deferment period and reduce the restaurant’s rent to $1,000 a month, not including maintenance and insurance, through Aug. 31, when its lease expires.
Coral Gables spokeswoman Martha Pantin told the Miami Herald in the days leading up to the vote that commissioners knew how important Burger Bob’s was to the community. She said they were also aware of how it was “uniquely impacted” during the pandemic, particularly because of its older clientele.
The city’s resolution described the restaurant as an “excellent tenant” that always paid rent on time pre-pandemic. Another factor commissioners considered: If Burger Bob’s closed, the city would have an empty restaurant space that would likely not be rented to another business during the pandemic.
This story was originally published January 26, 2021 at 4:28 PM.
