'A tragedy': Veteran server mourns closure of The Dove III in Melbourne

For more than a decade, Kevin Canino had a job he loved.

He was a server at The Dove III, an upper-end Italian-American restaurant that brought droves of people to downtown Melbourne in its 12 years there. People remembered Canino’s name, asked for him in a restaurant with a healthy crowd of regulars. Birthdays, anniversaries and retirements were celebrated, businesspeople convened and friends met friends at the Dove III.

Then, earlier this month, came what were said to have been “electrical issues” followed by “plumbing issues,” which closed the restaurant.

Finally, on April 17, a new sign on the front door read, “To our patrons and friends, we sincerely apologize for the inconvenience that we have caused. Going forward, we will be closed indefinitely.”

The owners are Chef John Mattiello and his son, Carlo Mattiello, who greeted guests. In a brief comment to FLORIDA TODAY, Carlo Mattiello cited health concerns as the reason for the closure.

Customers were disappointed, as evidenced by online comments left by members of FLORIDA TODAY’s Facebook group, 321 Flavor: Where Brevard Eats.

“We were scheduled to have a party of 14 on May 2,” Susan Turner wrote on April 20. “The owner called yesterday to cancel our reservation and apologized. They are having some serious plumbing issues and he doesn't know when they'll be reopening.”

On April 18, Ann Thompson wrote, “We had a luncheon for 30 people confirmed this week. Dove could not be reached by phone to confirm and (we) finally tried to confirm ... in person. Nothing but a door sign and no consideration to notify us they were closed.”

Canino thinks it all is a shame, a tragedy. He believes the Dove’s employees, loyal as they are — none worked there less than six years — could have kept it going until a buyer was found, or at least until it closed with more dignity.

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“We could have continued to operate the restaurant,” he said. “We'd done it before ... There was plenty of time to have organized a smooth transition and found investors or a buyer.”

It certainly did not close for lack of business.

“The dining room was completely packed up until the last day, every table occupied,” said Canino, who posted photos of the restaurant and its many diners to his Facebook page.

He has taken his good reputation to the Eau Gallie Yacht Club; other former Dove III employees continue to seek jobs.

Still, Canino could not help but be helpful where Dove III customers were concerned.

“Anyone still holding gift certificates for The Dove III restaurant, please mail them back to the restaurant with a self-addressed stamped envelope and you will receive a refund check,” he posted to 321 Flavor: Where Brevard Eats.

It is expected that the Dove III will be put up for sale. If and when it reopens under new owners, Canino said, he will be happy to return; he spoke of the “vision, heritage and reputation” of the restaurant.

“They were the very things that made me proud to work there," he said.

Lyn Dowling is a freelance food and lifestyles writer based in Melbourne. 

This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Dove III in Melbourne 'closed indefinitely' after series of issues