A shuttered restaurant across from The Villages was sold in a $4.5 million deal.
Burke’s BBQ at County Road 466A was part of nearly 20 acres owned by Evolve Fruitland LLC, a subsidiary of Evolve Cos Burke is the son of JC Burke, who owned much of the land along County Road 466A and is the founder of Burke’s Tree farm was.
evolve cos invests heavily in the construction of apartment buildings. The strong demand for workers housing near The Villages seems to have suited Evolve Cos well.
The grill restaurant has been empty for several years. The city of Fruitland Park sued and claimed Burke failed to honor a promise to connect to the city’s water and sewage system and install a fire hydrant outside his restaurant. Burke claimed an underground hose running from a nearby private swimming pool could be used to provide firefighting water.
In a 2014 interview with Villages-News.com, JC Burke said he owns 85 acres at County Road 466A and recently bought an additional 10 acres at Micro Racetrack Road.
