Mike (born Michele) Testa III, 60, died July 9 at his home in Bar Harbor, Maine. He was a member of the Testa family whose namesake restaurants have served the Palm Beach and Bar Harbor crowds since 1921.
Testa's, a landmark eatery in Palm Beach, is among the oldest restaurants still operating in the county.
Testa's grandfather, Michele Testa, opened a soda shop in Palm Beach in 1921 and eventually built it into the full-service restaurant on Royal Poinciana Way. It survived the 1928 hurricane and the Great Depression, along with numerous economic downturns and restaurant trends that affected other businesses.
Mike Testa took over in 1975 as vice president of the company,
working with his brother Tom to handle the operations, and continued
until his battle with cancer forced his retirement in the past year.
Testa's
has served several generations of Palm Beach visitors and is a vacation
memory for many Breakers hotel guests. Multi-generations of servers
have worked there, moving north in the summer to follow their resort
diners to Bar Harbor. The American restaurant is known especially for
its blueberry pancakes and strawberry pie.
Mike Testa is survived by his wife, three sisters, a brother and their families.