Pasco restaurateurs get fresh start

NEW PORT RICHEY - The restaurant business is tough even in a good economy, but two Pasco County restaurateurs are hoping to overcome more than a recession: they're trying to bounce back after losing their life savings.

The pair got caught in the collapse of what was supposed to be Pasco County's newest, trendiest office and entertainment complex.

Now they are setting up shop a few miles down the road, fine tuning recipes, and training staff on the specialties of the house.

The Grand Plaza Cafe in New Port Richey is just days away from it's grand opening. Linda DePasquale and Marguerite Cottone have been dreaming for years of opening a restaurant together -- and this is their second try.

The first time, their dream of a new restaurant in a bustling residential area was supposed to come to fruition at the Trinity Town Center, but that was almost three years ago.

"The Trinity Town Center, it was beautiful, the way they presented the whole project, it was a beautiful concept," said Marguerite Cattone.

But the Trinity Town Center was never completed. The restaurateurs say nearly a half million dollars worth of their equipment is still locked inside, and they say the developer refuses to allow them back on the property.

"All of our equipment, our booths, our bar are already in place, the paneling on the walls, the wiring for alarms, you name it," DePasquale said.

The developer, Bill Planes, became embroiled in lawsuits with his finance company and numerous contractors. FOX 13 tried to contact him, but he refused to speak to us for this story.

His attorney did not return our calls.

Now his former tenants are stuck in the middle, yet hoping to succeed on what little money they have left.

"We were taken, basically, and lost our life savings," DePasquale said.

"Where the rest of the money is, I guess we'll never know," Cattone said.

The new restaurant is just a few miles down the road. They now hope to show it's not so much where they are, but how good the food is.

"Everything is fresh. Fresh ingredients," DePasquale said.

"It's really exciting. We've been waiting a very long time," Cattone said.