Palm Coast ends talks with Green Lion to seek proposals for new restaurant at golf course

The Palm Coast City Council on Tuesday voted against continuing negotiations with the Green Lion restaurant at the Palm Harbor Golf Course and will ask other companies to make a pitch to take over the eatery.

The operators of the Green Lion also can submit a proposal to remain at the golf course.

Palm Coast had given the Green Lion until last Friday to agree to pay half the water bill for the triple-wide trailer it shares with the city on the Palm Harbor Golf Course.

The deadline came and went without an agreement. But Green Lion’s attorney sent a letter to the city last week warning the restaurant could take legal action if the city tries to evict the business from the golf course.

Green Lion warns of legal action: Green Lion warns it may take Palm Coast to court over restaurant at golf course

'You're a bunch of crooks': Green Lion owner to Palm Coast City Council: 'You're a bunch of crooks' as talks drag on

Previously: Palm Coast, Green Lion continue working on deal; city wants to break even within 2 years

The City Council voted 3-2 against further talks.

Green Lion owners 'heartbroken'

The Green Lion is owned by the Marlow family, which also runs the Golden Lion, a popular restaurant in Flagler Beach.

Co-owner Chris Marlow emailed a statement to the News-Journal on Wednesday.

“Our family and staff are in complete shock by the events that took place last night after 11 p.m. at the Palm Coast Council meeting. We ... are absolutely heartbroken,” the statement said.

The statement also said that the decision was also a shock to the many people who packed a council meeting earlier this year to oppose the city's plan to terminate its agreement with the Green Lion.

History between Palm Coast, Green Lion

Discussions about Green Lion have sometimes become heated.

Co-owner Tony Marlow called the City Council “crooks” before walking out of the council chambers at a meeting last month.

Mayor David Alfin had limited the Marlows — Tony and his son, Chris, — to three minutes each of speaking time at the meeting, even though the Green Lion was on the agenda.

Alfin previously has said the Marlows were given limited time because the item was a presentation by city staff and the city had been in negotiations with the Marlows for 18 months.

Also at the June meeting, Chris Marlow was warned he would be removed from the meeting when he yelled from his seat at the council.

Councilman Nick Klufas, who has praised the restaurant and noted that it has many supporters at the golf course, on Tuesday made a motion to give Green Lion more time and suggested a workshop with the restaurant. Klufas was not present at the last meeting.

“I wish I had been present to advocate a little bit more on behalf of this community asset,” Klufas said, adding that he wanted to avoid “unnecessary friction” over the issue.

“There’s a tremendous following that is the golfers of Palm Coast and there’s going to be a lot of kerfuffle made of this,” he said.

But Vice Mayor Eddie Branquinho and Councilman Ed Danko were against any more negotiations. Branquinho said he did not like that Tony Marlow had called the council “crooks” at the previous meeting.

Alfin, Branquinho and Danko voted against further talks with the Marlows, while John Fanelli joined Klufas in supporting continued negotiations.

"I would certainly encourage the Green Lion to apply for the RFP process giving us the opportunity to vet, make sure that the business model is both profitable for them as I assume it has been and also is conscious of the taxpayer dollars which have subsidized the property for some time," Alfin said.

Green Lion currently pays $600 a month in rent for its space while the city pays the entire water bill of about $2,000 a month. The city had proposed installing a meter to separately bill for the electricity but said it would be too expensive to install a water meter for the trailer.

Tony Marlow had agreed to the city’s previous terms, including an increase in rent from $600 to $2,000 a month. But he had not agreed to pay a portion of the water bill and disputed that the restaurant used more water than the city.

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Green Lion Cafe extension talks end at Palm Harbor Golf Course