Spotlight on Malabar’s Stuart and Nancy Borton
Our Constituents of the Week are Nancy and Stuart Borton, local restaurant entrepreneurs, most notable for their 25 years as founders and owners of the Yellow Dog Café in Malabar.
The Borton’s opened the Yellow Dog Café over two decades ago to provide local residents and visitors to the community a restaurant specializing in “comfort food with a flair.” They quickly became a neighborhood and county-wide favorite recognized for their unique menu, scenic location on the Indian River, and their staff’s friendly and professional service.
The history of the Yellow Dog Café is as interesting as the story of Stuart and Nancy Borton. For years, Stuart and Nancy dreamt of owning a restaurant on the water. They discovered an old building on the Indian River Lagoon in Malabar, purchased it, quickly remodeled it in 1997, and welcomed their first customers in 1998. They have since added a riverfront covered porch, pier, a dock on the beach, and a landscaped area for weddings and special occasions.
Their culinary interests began long ago. Stuart is originally from Michigan and credits his mom for his interest in the food industry. While in the Army, he was stationed in Germany and traveled to Japan, and finally to Australia where he settled to work in the insurance industry. Yet, culinary remained his calling. He purchased his first restaurant in the Australian city of Adelaide in an old Parliament building, and soon after he opened a second restaurant near Adelaide called Oxfords Café.
Nancy’s culinary interests began early in life too. From the age of 12, she was working in the culinary field serving assorted treats and managing a grocery store kiosk. She used her entrepreneurial spirit, talent, and experience in the food industry to enroll in the Worcester Fanning Trade School where she graduated with a degree in restaurant business administration. She won several competitions for cake decorating and was class president in her senior year. Shortly after graduation, she was hired to manage The El Morocco Restaurant in Massachusetts.
Later, while vacationing back in the U.S., Stuart met Nancy in Orlando and they married shortly thereafter. Together they opened a restaurant, The Steer Inn, in St. Louis, Michigan at the Michigan Livestock Exchange.
The cold weather left the Borton’s longing for Florida and in short order, they moved to the Micco area and opened Stuart’s Bistro and The Pizza Store, and ultimately the Yellow Dog Café in 1998.
Today, nearly 25 years later, Stuart and Nancy take on the daily challenges of owning and managing a thriving restaurant. They divide and conquer the important tasks of menu perfection, food tasting, meal presentation, professional dining service, selecting décor, staffing, training, inventory, sales, and all other critical functions in running a successful business. They also are well known in the community for their gracious support of many charities including Promise in Brevard.
Their success is enviable. The Yellow Dog Café was recently named one of Brevard County’s best local fine dining restaurants by Space Coast Living magazine. Florida Travel and Life magazine featured their restaurant as one of the best tables with a view in the state of Florida. In Touch Magazine recently wrote about Yellow Dog Café: A legendary Florida restaurant cooks up one of the world’s best chicken dishes. Orlando Sentinel food reviewer Scott Joseph wrote that Yellow Dog Café is adrift in flavors along the river’s edge; The views of the Indian River make Yellow Dog Café a scenic setting for a wonderful dining excursion.
To view the Yellow Dog Cafe’s iconic menu or make a reservation, click here.
District 19 is proud to congratulate Nancy and Stuart Borton on 25 years of success in Brevard County and we wish you both and the Yellow Dog Café another 25 years of blessings and prosperity!
Restaurants are gearing up for the busy holiday season. In preparation, operators are looking for areas to make improvements, considering rising labor demand, costs, and competition. Managers can improve operations by implementing tech solutions that automate manual tasks and drive higher return on investment (ROI).
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ALLERGEN AWARENESSIncreasing allergen awareness continues to be a top priority for restaurants, with new federal and state laws being introduced. The most significant federal change was the addition of sesame to the major food allergen groups, effective January 1, 2023. New state laws are placing focus on properly training managers and employees in allergy awareness and reaction protocols. Additionally, many states are now requiring food establishments to hang posters or signs that display the major food allergens, symptoms of an allergic reaction, and instructions of what to do during an allergic reaction.
RESTAURANTSThe Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) was introduced in 2011 with new regulations designed to transform the nation’s food safety system by focusing on preventing foodborne illnesses, instead of responding to them. Right now, the FDA does not directly mandate FSMA at the restaurant level. That is all changing in 2026, as restaurants will be required to uphold all the regulations imposed by FSMA. While it might seem like these changes are in the distant future, it’s crucial to start preparing your restaurant now and creating a culture centered around 
STATE CHANGESTo simplify the regulatory landscape in the U.S., states are beginning to adopt a standardized food code. Additionally, certain states such as California and New York have introduced new regulations that are specific to their jurisdictions.
ALCOHOLSeveral states have passed permanent alcohol-to-go laws or have extended temporary alcohol-to-go laws. Additionally, some states – such as New Jersey and Virginia – are requiring alcohol delivery courses for 3rd-party delivery drivers. The age to serve alcohol to customers has also been lowered in certain states to address labor shortage issues. For example, Kentucky reduced the age to serve to 18, while Michigan’s was reduced to 17.
The frequency of health inspections varies based on the complexity of the food service operation, as well as the reason for the inspection, but most routine inspections occur once every 6 months or 1-3 times per year.
One of the primary places for pathogens to be found is the skin and hair. There is a far greater risk of transferring pathogens onto food and equipment if a food handler does follow a personal hygiene program and comes into work unclean. Showering or bathing before work is the only way this can be effectively and reliably accomplished and should be considered a requirement for all food handlers.
Not only does dirty work attire leave a poor impression on guests, but it also puts their health at greater risk. Dirty, unwashed clothing has an increased risk of carrying pathogens that can be transferred onto food and cause foodborne illnesses. What makes clean work attire so important is that dirty clothing doesn’t even have to come into direct contact with the food, as the pathogens can easily be transferred from the clothing to the hands, and then onto food.
The foods that are at the highest risk of rapid bacteria growth are called time and temperature control for safety foods, or TCS foods. The most common TCS foods are:
A strong food cooking policy helps protect the health and safety of your guests, while ensuring your staff keeps and consistent and reliable temperature monitoring procedure. All food handlers and managers should be educated on the food establishment’s cooking policy and be held accountable to follow it diligently. Your policy document can also be prominently displayed in the kitchen. A strong food cooking policy consists of: