Hurricane Milton damaged a Manatee County restaurant that has been in business for nearly 50 years.
The Alvarez Mexican Restaurant on Eighth Avenue in Palmetto suffered wind and water damage from Milton.
Victoria Sarmiento said the restaurant means so much to her family. Her grandmother, Marie Alvarez, founded the restaurant in 1976.
“My grandmother, Marie Alvarez, and my grandfather, Antonio, they were from Texas, San Antonio area. They came over here in maybe the late 60s, early 70s and decided to open a restaurant and have been here ever since,” said Victoria Sarmiento.
The hurricane ripped off a portion of the roof and caused water intrusion. Sarmiento guesses some of the restaurant’s equipment has also been destroyed.
“Ceiling is gone, the roof is gone. We’ve got some face damage to the front of the restaurant. We’ve got some flooding inside,” she said.
The restaurant’s sign by the street was also destroyed. Still, Sarmiento is dedicated to starting over and is grateful for the community’s support.