Iconic Linger Lodge to close on Aug. 1 for renovations

The new owners of the idiosyncratic Linger Lodge plan to close the Old Florida restaurant on Aug. 1 for renovations.

“We are targeting October for our reopening, and then we will do some sort of reopening extravaganza with appetizers and cocktails to reintroduce folks to the restaurant,” general manager David LaRusso said Thursday.

Plans for Linger Lodge, 7205 85th St. Ct. E., include a new roof, the addition of handicap accessible restrooms, and upgraded electrical wiring and plumbing. The showers and laundry in the restaurant building that are used by guests in the RV park will be removed and new ones installed elsewhere on the property.

The Austrian owners of Linger Lodge, identified only as River Loft or Linger Loft in county records, don’t want to change the restaurant too much.

“What they really want to do is maintain the integrity of the place. They want to keep it Old Florida. They don’t want to take everything down and replace it,” LaRusso said.

Charity & Weiss International Realty represented the new buyer who purchased the property for $2,498,258.40, the Herald reported in November.

The previous owners, Mike Bennett and Marvin Kaplan, bought Linger Lodge for $3 million in 2005, the Herald has reported.

With its eclectic mix of fanciful taxidermy, militaria, farm implements and vintage advertising, Linger Lodge has achieved notoriety well beyond Manatee County.

Forbes.com once called it one of the world’s 10 most unusual restaurants, and NBC weatherman Al Roker called it “one of the top five weirdest restaurants in the country.

The preserved animals – some are unlikely pairings of different animals – are aging and will get a close look during the renovations to see which ones can be preserved, LaRusso said.

Former owner Frank Gamsky put much of the collection together, including a large rattlesnake that attacked him and landed him in the hospital for several weeks.

Gamsky was known as a prankster and would entertain guests table-side with jokes and magic tricks.

The restaurant’s seating capacity of 250 is not expected to change.

Linger Lodge is open 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesday through Friday, and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

“If folks here are having a good time, 10 o’clock is not the bell. It’s just a guideline,” LaRusso said.

He hopes that the renovations put a persistent rumor to rest.

“The rumor I have heard for seven years is that, ‘I hear you are closing down.’ It’s like a dozen calls a week,” LaRusso said.

The new owners aren’t planning to close their new investment.

“I think they are enchanted by the charm of it,” LaRusso said.

This story was originally published July 13, 2017 at 2:16 PM with the headline "Iconic Linger Lodge to close on Aug. 1 for renovations."