The owner of a popular Bradenton restaurant has died.
Jose Baserva died early Friday morning at a hospice, according to our partners at the Bradenton Herald. He was 57 years old.
Baserva became famous in 2011 when his restaurant, Jose's Real Cuban Food in Bradenton, was featured "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives" on the Food Network.
Baserva said he was contacted to appear on the show after several of his customers emailed the Food Network about his restaurant. He said he'd never needed to spend anything on advertising, because all of business was word of mouth.
Baserva faced some problems in recent months when health inspectors shut down his restaurant for violations. He reopened his restaurant in April after passing the health inspection.