Three Port Charlotte faves made news last week: one sad, one celebratory, and one especially stirring.
BITTERSWEET NEWS
It’s been 17 years since Sweet’s Diner opened at 2320 Tamiami Trail in Port Charlotte. It was a dream come true for Scott Sweet, who’d worked in restaurants since he was 15, growing up in the Chicago suburbs.
After years in corporate food service, he said that his goal in Florida was to have “a small, hometown mom-and-pop place, a neighborhood restaurant where everyone knows you. Good quantities for a fair price.”
He and his wife, Teresa, have more than met that goal.
Their little eatery won a place in the hearts and stomachs of a whole town, and not just because of Sweet’s famous “Pile Up” — a heaping breakfast plate that came with a bumper sticker for customers who managed to finish one.
The Sweets go above and beyond to help others, no questions asked, whenever they can.
For those in need, they placed day-old bread in a box on their front bench.
One customer asked for scrapple, so Scott started making it. After another customer was in an accident, he brought food to her home. If regulars didn’t show up as usual, Scott called to make sure they’re OK.