Dundee Downtown Pizza & Burgers Closing Its Doors Due to Rent Hike
by James Coulter
A well‑known Dundee eatery is shutting its doors after a sharp rent hike at its current location.
On Mon., July 13, Dundee Downtown Pizza & Burgers announced in a Facebook post that it will be officially closing its doors on Aug. 1.
According to the post, the restaurant’s landlord is seeking a significant rent increase and ownership of the business’s equipment as part of a new lease, terms the owners say they cannot accept.
“Our landlord has proposed increasing our rent by nearly $10,000 in just one year, followed by 5% annual increases every year after that,” the post read. “He also wants to keep all of our equipment under this new lease. If we were to ever leave, all of our equipment and improvements would have to stay back with the building; we cannot sign such an agreement. Unfortunately, that’s simply not something a small family-owned business like ours can afford in today’s economy.”
The post also framed the closure as part of a broader countywide trend, claiming that many businesses in areas such as Winter Haven are “being priced out as rents continue to skyrocket.”
Located at 219 E. Main St., Dundee Downtown Pizza & Burgers has been a popular locally owned, family‑run spot since opening in 2018.
The restaurant’s Facebook page has attracted more than 4,000 followers, and the eatery has earned consistently strong ratings on both Facebook and Yelp. It was even featured on America’s Best Restaurants, highlighting its reputation beyond the local community.
On Monday, July 20, the restaurant announced in another Facebook post that it would be offering free ice cream to all customers until its final day of operation. A separate post on Tuesday, July 14, encouraged visitors to take selfies in front of the eatery’s iconic mural and “pizza chair” before the building is repainted.
Owner Kevin Rodriguez said the proposed rent increase would hinder the restaurant’s ability to grow and force them to raise menu prices, an adjustment he argued would not only push the business beyond the local market’s price point but also place an unfair burden on customers.
“The rental rate increase is not worth what the market is calling for in the area,” he said. “In other words, we cannot do more than what we are already doing here. So, if I have to pay a lot more, and I can’t grow my business, then it is not worth it for us to stay in this space. It is a negotiation that doesn’t make sense for us.”
