A routine shift became quite memorable last week, when Florida’s governor dropped by a popular Flagler County restaurant to grab a bite while in town.
It was just past 11 a.m. on April 30 when Gov. Ron DeSantis walked through the doors of The Landing Strip Tavern, located at 202 Airport Road in Palm Coast — a pleasant surprise to guests, staff and owner Jamie Bourdeau, alike.
“We’re at the airport, and there was a lot of security here in the morning. So, obviously we knew something was up, but we didn’t know what,” Bourdeau told The News-Journal.
“They called me on my cell — one of the guys that works for him — and asked me if we could get a sandwich for the governor — a fried fish sandwich. So, I said, ‘Absolutely we can.’”
The governor was in the area following a press conference that took place at Destination Daytona at 10 a.m. that morning. Despite running behind schedule, DeSantis, who took his sandwich to go, was more than happy to chat with restaurant guests, according to Bourdeau.
“It was great. He couldn’t have been more cordial, and he’s very pleasant, you know? He talked to everybody, smiled, shook hands and took pictures with anybody who wanted to take a picture with him,” said Bourdeau, who’d only briefly crossed paths with DeSantis once before, years prior.
In wake of the visit, the restaurant rolled out a fried fish sandwich special on Friday, aptly named “The Governor’s Choice,” the restaurateur said, selling at least half a dozen before noon.
“It’s great for the whole community to see people that important that actually care about coming in, meeting people and talking to everybody, you know? People who aren’t stuck on themselves,” Bourdeau said.
What is the Landing Strip Tavern?
The aviation-themed eatery, formerly Highjackers Restaurant, opened last May following a roughly 10-month renovation, The News-Journal previously reported. In addition to having a full bar indoors, the restaurant offers outdoor patio seating with tables overlooking the aircrafts at Flagler Executive Airport.
The tavern’s menu showcases a variety of seafood dishes, sandwiches and more, from the B1 Bomber Burger to the mahi mahi sandwich, Landing “Strip” Steak, and blackened shrimp pasta.
Since sharing news of DeSantis’ visit on social media, the restaurant’s original post has garnered more than 3,000 social interactions.
“Honest to God, it was just a normal day — although our phone has been ringing off the hook and, apparently, our Facebook page has been blowing up, too,” Bourdeau said regarding DeSantis’ visit.
“But I tell you, honestly, I couldn’t say enough great things about him. He was extremely pleasant, like I said. Everybody enjoyed him, and his staff was just as nice as he was.”
The Landing Strip Tavern is open 11 a.m. – 10 p.m. Sunday – Thursday and 11 a.m. – 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday. For information, call 386-359-6300 or visit landingstriptavern.com.
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: See where Gov. DeSantis recently stopped for lunch in Flagler County
Reporting by Helena Perray, Daytona Beach News-Journal / The Daytona Beach News-Journal
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
