Ave Maria Living Magazine | Issue # 1 | September 2016
Sister publication of AveMariaLiving.com - the inaugural edition of the print magazine. Ave Maria, Florida - the town with a Catholic heart.™©
Sister publication of AveMariaLiving.com - the inaugural edition of the print magazine. Ave Maria, Florida - the town with a Catholic heart.™©
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COME VISIT US IN THE AVE MARIA TOWN CENTER<br />
5064 Annunciat ion Circle #104<br />
<strong>Ave</strong> <strong>Maria</strong> FL, 34142<br />
Piazza. Another investment in the<br />
struggling town of <strong>Ave</strong> <strong>Maria</strong> was a scary<br />
proposition but, Daniel said, ?more than<br />
anything we wanted the town to grow<br />
and survive. We have always been fully<br />
invested in this town.?<br />
The developers suggested an Italian<br />
restaurant, but the Dixes understood<br />
their market and envisioned another<br />
idea: a bar. Not just any bar, but a pub.<br />
They had no interest in owning a typical<br />
American bar, but a pub was a different<br />
entity all together. Their vision was not a<br />
place to sit around and drink, but rather<br />
another social gathering spot similar to<br />
the spirit of The Bean; a place for<br />
community to gather and strengthen<br />
their relationships. The Queen Mary Pub<br />
and Grille opened its doors on <strong>September</strong><br />
11, 2009. Much like the Bean, the<br />
townspeople embraced this new business<br />
with open arms.<br />
Due to the struggling economy, Daniel<br />
started getting a bit desperate to support<br />
his family. He needed to take on<br />
additional work to pay the bills. <strong>Ave</strong><br />
<strong>Maria</strong> was having a bit of a problem with<br />
bears making their way into La Piazza at<br />
night to sniff out the garbage and the<br />
town really needed someone to collect<br />
the garbage at night to help prevent this<br />
problem. Daniel needed more work that<br />
would fit into his already busy schedule,<br />
so he took a job driving a golf cart<br />
around at night to collect the trash. He<br />
recalls local friends and patrons, like Tom<br />
DiFlorio, calling him up to ask if they<br />
could come along and collect garbage just<br />
to give him a hand and hang out for a<br />
bit. He would also often take his<br />
daughters with him. When Bella tells me<br />
about her experience collecting garbage<br />
with her dad, her face lights up! Who<br />
would think that a teenage girl would<br />
have such fond memories of collecting<br />
garbage? But, then again, it's not really<br />
about the garbage. It?s remembering the<br />
community?s love for her father, the<br />
appreciation for his hard work, and the<br />
special time spent bonding with her.<br />
Continued on page 18<br />
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