Naples Municipal Airport terminates the Landings Cafe's lease

The Landings Cafe at the Naples Municipal Airport has closed its doors.

Co-owner Mirella Torres, 70, packed some of her personal mementos in a box Friday morning. After collecting several bottles of alcohol, Torres said she cares about losing money.

The Landings Cafe has not seen a customer in the past three months, Torres said. After 10 years of business inside the commercial terminal, the Landings Cafe's lease was terminated July 26 because the restaurant failed to carry liability insurance for four months, or come into compliance, according to a July 15 airport authority letter sent to co-owner John Torres. Airport staff closed the restaurant on Thursday. Because there are no commercial airlines, the business was not making any sales, owners said. John Torres, who has been a co-owner of the cafe with his mother, Mirella, since 2006, said he could not afford to purchase insurance. "They are kicking me out because I cannot afford to stay open," Torres said. His three-year lease would have expired in 2013. Based on airport sales revenue, the airport has not received any percentage from restaurant sales this year, said Ted Soliday, the airport's executive director. The Landings Cafe reported $986.25 in sales in catering in April, of which 13 percent, or $128.21, was paid to the airport. Since Delta Air Lines stopped serving the airport in 2007, the Landings Cafe did not pay rent to the airport authority, Soliday said. The Landings Cafe paid 8 percent of its sales at the cafe, or until it reached the total amount for rent; and 10 percent of the catering sales, or 13 percent when the airport bills the catering sales, airport officials said. Monthly lease is an average of $1,953.60, or $17 per square foot to rent space. Because of the condition of the 1,386-square-foot restaurant, the airport authority had to hire an exterminator to take care of a fly infestation, as well as having staff remove trash and clean, airport officials said. "This is an unfortunate situation," Soliday said. "They haven't been trying to be a restaurant for quite some time." Soliday noted the reduction of restaurant hours, cutting of gas and not renewing their liquor license. "It should be at my discretion, if I don't have business I should be able to close earlier," Torres said. Torres said the airport wanted the cafe to stay open seven days a week 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and carry a full menu. However, Torres said there was no business for him to stay open the whole day. Torres said he wanted to close and re-open once the airport added an airline. The restaurant also owes the airport $196.29 for storage rent, Airport Operations Director Ryan Frost said. Currently, the airport has no future tenant. "I think, a good restaurant in there could be successful with or without airlines," Soliday said. Connect with Tracy X. Miguel at naplesnews.com/staff/tracy_x_miguel