The iconic clock in front of Booth's Bowery in Port Orange is winding down. The restaurant has closed for good after 32 years.
- Booth's Bowery in Port Orange is closing after 32 years
- Owner says the building the restaurant was in was old and costing a lot
- Owner will auction memorabilia on Saturday
Tim Booth first opened Booth's Bowery in 1984 and the restaurant quickly went on to become a part of Port Orange history.
"A lot of my customers have been coming here for 30 plus years. And they're no longer just my customers, they're my friends and so it's really a hard, pulls at the heart strings," said Booth.
Booth's restaurant was a culinary and aesthetic experience.
He was a collector and filled the walls of his restaurant with license plates, portraits and other memorabilia.
Now Booth is letting his customers and friends take home a part of Booth's Bowery by auctioning off his treasure trove, including a carved wooden bar from the 1920's.
Michelle Augusto is here from Massachusetts, looking for one of those license plates.
"Pretty sad, we would always, when we meet here for Bike Weeks, we always ate here. It was kinda disappointing. It's a big shocker," said Michelle Augusto.
That auction is Saturday and Booth is expecting to hear the question over and over, why he's closing down.
"It's time because this is an old, old building. And it's taken all of our resources to keep it up," said Booth.
Part of Booth's collection includes two antique gas pumps, which will also be auctioned off.
Ironically, Booth's Bowery restaurant and General Store were sold to make way for a Cumberland Farms convenience store and gas station.
"You never have too many gas pumps," joked Booth.
At age 67, Booth hopes to open another restaurant as soon as he finds another location, and fill it with more memorabilia.
While the restaurant is already closed, The General Store, which has sold several winning lottery tickets, will close in a few months.