- Pink Flamingo diner in High Springs has permanently closed, as indicated by its updated Facebook cover photo and Google listing.
- The diner faced roof damage requiring repairs and never reopened after a temporary closure announced nearly a year ago.
- Owner Dae Jung Kim faced a $2 million loan lawsuit and property foreclosure threats, but the case was dismissed in December 2023.
High Springs’ 1950s-inspired American diner with an 18-hole miniature golf course, Pink Flamingo, is permanently closed, according to the restaurant’s Facebook cover photo updated Tuesday.
The image reads “Will be closed until further notice” and encourages customers to patronize its award-winning sister location, The Great Outdoors, also in High Springs.
The Pink Flamingo has not stated a reason for the closure nor returned requests for comment about the announcement, which comes almost a year after the diner declared what was intended to be a temporary closure in November.
Hilife Management for Pink Flamingo posted that the restaurant’s building at 19726 NW US Hwy 441 needed repairs following significant damage from a leaking roof and would tentatively open by February with a new menu.
But Pink Flamingo never reopened and has been marked “Permanently closed” on Google for the past few months. The diner’s license is also no longer listed in the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation’s database.
In September 2023, the diner and The Great Outdoors’ original owner, Dae Jung Kim, faced a lawsuit from Community State Bank for defaulting on a $2 million loan and was facing foreclosure on multiple High Springs properties, including the restaurants. The bank voluntarily dismissed the case a few months later, in December.
Pink Flamingo opened in 2021 aiming to bring a different kind of diner to town. Along with creating 75 new jobs, the restaurant brought unique offerings like a full vegan menu, bar, stage for live entertainment, drive-thru coffee shop with soft serve ice cream and, of course, mini golf.
Local organizations often hosted charity fundraiser tournaments on the course, including the annual Kiwanis of Santa Fe Mini Golf Putt-Putt Tournament, which featured a friendly competition between the High Springs fire and police departments.
Community members on Facebook gave a mixed response to Pink Flamingo’s closure, with some saying they’d miss the classic diner food and others saying the announcement wasn’t a surprise as service had declined.