Moon Hut Is Now Mexican

"It's ironic that so many people people seem to care so much about the restaurant, but nobody ever did anything to take care of it," Mr. Martinez said. "When we took over, the building was really rundown and a mess inside." Mr. Martinez has been in Brevard County for about 12 years. Restaurants run in his family. He owns two others in Melbourne and West Melbourne, and he has 14 family members who own restaurants. When remodeling the old Moon Hut, the new owners took great care to preserve the tons of memorabilia that include everything from autographed photos to flight patches and stickers and old menus. "I grew up here so I know how important the items are to the residents." Ms. Fusillo said. "We're very excited to be here."

Local artist Peter Howland helped the owners brighten up the restaurant with brightly painted walls and booths. Purples, greens and wild pink painted walls are
highlighted with flowers and scenes from Mexico. Longtime resident
and former Cocoa Beach Mayor Joe Morgan is looking forward to the new
restaurant. "I worked for years right across the street from the
Moon Hut," Mr. Morgan said. "I spend many hours there. There's lots of
history there. I'm glad someone is fixing up the place and keeping all the
memorabilia." He said he's also happy because he loves Mexican food.


Alice Fusillo, Nestor Martinez and Jesus Diaz in front
of the original sign that gave the establishment its identity in 1958.