City Dogs Cafe owner says storm damage permanently ruined business

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV) – As many people pick up the pieces from the recent tornadoes, one Railroad Avenue business is forced to close its doors because of the damage left behind.

“This is the end of this venture,” said City Dogs Cafe owner Mike Robinson.

The floors in the cafe are still covered in water – just one example of the challenges ahead.

Robinson said City Dogs was more than a business to him.

“A lot of personal sacrifices you have to make to get here to this point,” he said. “It’s not just business. It’s very personal.”

The devastation of losing a business has been unthinkable for Robinson.

“It’s like raising a child, and you want your child to be successful, and grow up strong and healthy, and unfortunately sometimes things don’t work out,” he said. “This is a situation where it has not worked out.”

He said the support is overwhelming but much appreciated. Cleaning one shop also means taking time away from his other business, Ma’s Diner, which he hopes people will continue to support.

Several volunteers came to help Robinson clean out City Dogs on Wednesday. Marie D’Addario was one of those people.

“I’ve grown, like, an emotional attachment to this area,” she said. “I went out to these communities and talked to a lot of the residents, and it’s inspiring to see the resilience this community does have.”

City Dogs is located on the portion of Railroad Avenue that is currently closed because of construction. Robinson said much of the Railroad District is suffering, and he wants everyone to support fundraisers for this community as much as possible.

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