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Tag: Anna Maria Island bar

Bortell’s Lounge for sale

Bortell’s Lounge for sale

Written by Joe Hendricks on . Posted in Business, Real estate | Development, Restaurants | Bars.

ANNA MARIA – Bortell’s Lounge is on the market with a $7.2 million asking price.

Pat Bucko is serving as the broker for Bortell’s Lounge owner Steve Rose.

According to Bucko’s online listing, the purchase includes the land, the 2,850-square-foot building, the business and a 4COP dual liquor license that allows for consumption on premises and package liquor sales.

According to the listing, “Bortell’s Lounge first opened its doors in 1977 and has been an Anna Maria institution ever since. What makes Bortell’s legendary is the long history with the locals and vacationers that have created lifelong memories and friendships over the past 46 years.

“The current owner purchased the building and business in 2015 knowing it was going to need an extensive remodel and in 2018 he closed the doors and began the process. After three years of planning, engineering, construction and blood, sweat and beers, Bortell’s reopened in 2021,” the listing notes.

Bortell’s Lounge for sale
Steve Rose reopened his renovated Bortell’s Lounge in 2021. – Joe Hendricks | Sun

When contacted by The Sun, Rose shared his thoughts on selling Bortell’s.

“It’s just time. I always knew I was buying it to do a renovation and I’ve achieved what I wanted to do. I’ve got some other projects I want to do and it’s the right time to move on. I’ve got a couple things in the hopper that I’m excited about but nothing under contract yet,” he said.

“Bortell’s is for sale but people shouldn’t worry. It was a bar for 40 years when I bought it and I developed it in a way that I believe it will stay a bar for 40 more years. I can’t imagine anybody buying it and doing anything other than that. I’m not expecting a quick sale. We’re still pouring drinks six days a week and we’re firing up the pizza ovens and bringing pizza back beginning on Tuesday (June 13),” Rose said.

“Owning Bortell’s has truly been a dream come true for me. It’s helped me check so many things off my personal bucket list that I had to update my list. I moved to the Island and bought a dive bar. It’s like something from a Jimmy Buffett song. I did not get to this place alone. I owe thanks to everyone who has and does work for me, as well as a huge list of vendors, contractors and sub-contractors, as well as a few people that were just at the right place and time to help us out,” Rose said.

Bortell’s Lounge poised for a comeback

Bortell’s Lounge poised for a comeback

Written by Joe Hendricks on . Posted in Business, Restaurants | Bars.

ANNA MARIA – Extensive renovations will soon take place at Bortell’s Lounge and the popular Anna Maria watering hole is expected to reopen as early as June.

Located at 10002 Gulf Drive, Bortell’s Lounge closed after its husband and wife owners, Steve Rose and Marci Wilhelm, were involved in a plane crash in South Carolina in 2018. Wilhelm was seriously injured in the crash and the pilot and co-pilot were killed when the private jet they were flying in went off the runaway and crashed after landing.

“We’re both getting back to normal, as normal as we can. We would have been open a long time ago but the plane crash took us out of the game for a year. And right after that my dad got brain cancer and we brought him back to the Island and put everything else on hold,” Rose said when speaking by phone on Sunday.

Rose said he was out of town last week and didn’t know the Shoreline Builders’ permit box had been affixed to the building until several friends texted him about it. Security fencing was also installed last week.

Security fencing is now in place in preparation for the pending renovations. – Submitted | Doug Copeland

“We’re doing a full renovation of the building. It had not been renovated in 40 years. We needed electrical, plumbing and a new roof. I like to say we needed one of everything and two of some things. The I’s are dotted, the T’s are crossed and the permits are filtering in. Hopefully, we’ll be open in four to four-and-a-half months. We’re shooting for June,” Rose said.

“The day we shut it down, we yanked out the memorabilia and old stuff that’s been hanging on the walls for 40 years. We got it to an offsite location and secured it. We’ll bring a lot of that stuff back,” he explained.

Rose said Bortell’s occasionally opened for customer appreciation days during the extended temporary closure.

“We’d just fling open the doors and serve drinks, but I can’t even remember the last time we did that,” he said.

“We’re doing a top-quality job and it’ll look great when it’s done,” Rose said, noting there will be at least one significant addition.

“I’m putting a kitchen in, but I don’t know what we’re doing with the kitchen yet. When you spend this kind of money on a rebuild you do it for best possible use – so best possible use does have a kitchen,” he said. “The only food we served since we owned it was the free hot dogs during football on Sundays, and that will continue.”

Bortell’s will also continue the no-smoking policy implemented in 2015.

“That worked out really well for us,” Rose said.

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