Punta Gorda Airport offers $200K incentive for restaurateur

The people at Punta Gorda Air Center are hungry for a restaurant, so airport officials say they are willing to provide $200,000 for someone willing to operate a full-service restaurant, bar and caterer there.

Located on the north side of the Punta Gorda Airport (PGD) campus, the Punta Gorda Air Center is home to fixed-base operators. The 13,500-square-foot building houses aviation tenants, a pilot lounge, offices, conference and events rooms, and parking. It opened in 2022. At the time, officials said a Rosati’s Pizza franchise was going to open there.

So far, airport authorities say $400,000 has been put into the partial buildout of the restaurant, including a variety of kitchen equipment like a pizza oven as well as framing, natural gas line, rough electrical and plumbing.