A Dog Friendly Waterfront Restaurant
The Lighthouse Grill At Stump Pass Becomes The First Dog Approved Outdoor Restaurant in Englewood, Florida
Dogs will be Allowed at The Lighthouse Grill At Stump Pass! This Is Great News For Customers At The Popular Waterfront Restaurant. Up until this past February 2018, customers brought their canine friends to the waterfront outdoor restaurant, located off of Placida Road in the picturesque community of Englewood, Fl. This practice went back at least 13 years to the time when a public swimming pool was located right where the restaurant’s Sunset Tiki Terrace is located today.
“We learned this past February, that a permit was needed from Charlotte County authorizing this activity, and until we had a permit we had to prohibit dogs, except for qualified “service dogs”, from entering our property. As you can imagine, we heard loudly from dog owners who were angry they could not bring their dogs and accused us of “not liking dogs”. We also heard from customers who were glad dogs were no longer allowed because dogs “annoy” them, and they did not want to sit next to a dog in the restaurant” said Joe Reichard, Managing Partner of The Lighthouse Grill.
With the busy Southwest Florida season at its height in February 2018, there was still not a process in place in Charlotte County to grant a permit authorizing the restaurant to allow dogs. So, with help from the Englewood Chamber of Commerce and Charlotte County Commissioner Bill Truex, Mr. Reichard set the process in motion to work with the county to create permit applications, which have recently become available.
“Out of respect for our customers, both for and against dogs, we, as owners had to decide if we would even apply for a permit. There was a lot to consider, and what we eventually came up with at our restaurant, is a solution we believe will satisfy both sides of this polarizing issue. We will have a distinct area for customers with dogs that is segregated from the main dining area. The only exception for dogs in the main dining area will be for “qualified service dogs” (not emotional support dogs), which is our current practice. So after we organized the location, we applied for the permit and established a 36-seat “dining area” with upgraded “Tiki Tables” specifically for dog owners and their canine family”, said Mr. Reichard. “We have put in place all the required sanitary items, and we are very pleased to state that our application was approved on Monday, October 1, 2018! As of that date, we are now ready to serve our dog owner customers in our newly established dining area, which will provide full service for cocktails and entrees”, he further stated.