DAYTONA BEACH -- Glen Leizear has a heart as big as his banquet room.
Whether it's little old ladies playing cards all day after ordering only a sandwich or the military families he feeds at huge discounts, the owner and manager of the Clubhouse Restaurant at the Daytona Beach Municipal Golf Course is known for cutting breaks.
Sgt. Barry Tressler, who regularly brings National Guard recruits into the Wilder Avenue restaurant, has been served by Leizear and his family for 10 years. He shares stories of soldiers' families coming in and the service they receive whether they can pay full price or not.
"You can't meet a better person or find a guy with a bigger heart," Tressler said. "Glen couldn't care about who you are or who you know, he'll take care of you. In the business world, you don't see that a lot."
Sitting at a table surrounded by dangling icicle-light decorations and a Christmas tree on a recent Thursday evening, Leizear struggles to put into words why he doesn't charge the Lions Club or the Corvette Club to gather in his banquet room, as long as they eat.
"It all comes back around," he said with a shrug.
He works more than 100 hours a week, but at least his wife, daughter, mother and occasionally his college-aged son all work at the restaurant with him.
The clubhouse sells breakfast starting at 6 a.m., $5.25 grilled chicken breast or hamburgers for lunch and dinner specialties, like the Christmas Day stuffed flounder. They often have specials, like the Sunday all-you-can-eat breakfast buffet and omelet bar, as well as the Friday night all-you-can-eat fish fry.
Unfortunately, the prices will have to be raised soon, at least by about 75 cents, Leizear said. Because the restaurant building is leased from the city, at Wednesday's Daytona Beach City Commission meeting, his rent was raised from $1,100 to $1,500 a month.
It could have been worse, though, and Leizear is grateful. City staff members originally proposed raising the rent to $1,925, with an additional cost-of-living increase. The City Commission fought the larger increase because of the slow economy and Leizear's record of giving back.
"It's a community type of restaurant, we want to keep it where people can afford it," said Daytona Beach Mayor Glenn Ritchey.
Leizear said it all started when he came here 15 years ago from Maryland and a local retiree called and demanded to know how much he charged for a hamburger. He revamped his menu to fit the elderly community's budget then and there.
On Friday, a group of older men sat around a table playing cards in the back of the restaurant, the only sign that they had paid to be there a half-full drink resting on the table. The Massachusetts regulars chided Leizear and passed the time with jokes, meals and a couple of beers.
"I won't ever be rich, but I have a lot of friends," Leizear said.