East Manatee landmark Linger Lodge sold

Linger Lodge Restaurant and Campground, 7205 85th St. Ct. E., known as much for its its quirky taxidermy as its location on a quiet bend of the Braden River, is going to a new owner.

Owner Mike Bennett, Manatee County’s supervisor of elections, confirmed the sale Monday night, but declined to say much else.

“We will be managing the restaurant for a short period of time. The new owners plan to put a high end RV park there,” Bennett said.

Bennett and his business partner Marvin Kaplan bought the property for $3 million in 2005, according to Herald archives.

They tried to sell the property several times. In 2013, they put Linger Lodge back on the market with a $1.995 million sales price.

Linger Lodge first opened in 1945, and has been an Old Florida landmark ever since, despite the increasing encroachment of development.

None other than NBC weatherman Al Roker once called Linger Lodge “one of the top five weirdest restaurants in the country.”

Charity & Weiss International Realty represented an Austrian buyer who purchased the property for $2,498,258.40.

Several calls to Charity and Weiss for details on the purchase were not returned.

“I have no other comment,” Bennett said of the deal.

In 2014, the owners of Linger Lodge approached the Manatee County Commission asking the state to acquire, restore and manage the 23-acre property, the Herald previously reported.

This story was originally published November 14, 2016 at 7:13 PM with the headline "East Manatee landmark Linger Lodge sold."