GULFPORT, Fla. — A Tampa Bay restaurant chain that had to stop operations due to health code violations in April has suddenly closed.
Caddy’s Gulfport is permanently closed and posted a notice on their doors and windows.
"I walked right up to the door and said 'Oh my God, they’re closed,'" one Gulfport resident, Linda Flading, said.
The sudden closure was noted on the door, but no explanation why.
10 Tampa Bay reached out to the company listed on the van outside the restaurant, Sun Pubs, to ask why Caddy's in Gulfport was permanently closed. The same company is listed on their website.
This was the response, “I’m moving on and will not be responding to your email.”
A worker at Caddy's told 10 Tampa Bay off-camera that no one is being fired. Instead, workers have the choice to go to their other locations and work. However, that worker didn't comment on why the location was closed.
While it's unclear if it’s tied to this closure, back on April 10 Tampa Bay reported on the state ordering Caddy’s to stop operations.
There were nine high-priority violations at the Gulfport location. Reports detail dozens of flies in the restaurant, on dishes, in soda lines and other places. Health officials also found dozens of live roaches in the wall foam and some living in the kitchen.
Live bands who were scheduled to play at Caddy's Gulfport also posted about their shows being canceled. One man came from Kentucky to watch his friend perform.
"We come down to see his band here at Caddy’s and he texted me yesterday saying it was canceled," Ronnie Cowles said.
10 Tampa Bay reached out to the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation and they said Caddy's Gulfport has an active DBPR public food service license with an expiration date of February 1, 2024.
As far as food inspections, the last one performed was on April 14, 2023, and the DBPR Division of Hotels and Restaurants hasn't received any recent consumer complaints against the establishment.
10 Tampa Bay is waiting to get an answer from management at Caddy’s to get an answer as to why the restaurant shut down.