In addition to the 16 new local restaurants coming in January and February, at least 20 more eateries are making plans to open in 2019. Tim Aten, tim.aten@naplesnews.com; 239-263-4857
These are in addition to the 16 eateries coming in January and February.
In addition to the 16 new local restaurants coming in January and February that we wrote about last week, at least 20 more eateries are already making plans to open this year. Here’s an early glimpse at some of them.
Early buzz
Similar to Celebration Park that launched late last year in East Naples and Rocco’s Tacos coming this month to Mercato in North Naples, some restaurant projects have an incredible buzz that builds anticipation for their opening.
A couple of other eateries coming soon have that word-of-mouth promotion because folks are familiar with their locations elsewhere.
► TooJay’s Deli: The excitement about TooJay’s Deli Bakery Restaurant coming to Mercato this spring has been years in the making. Foodies have wanted another New York-style deli in Naples for years.
The popular casual chain that began on Florida’s east coast will fill the space vacated by Stage Deli in 2017 for its first area location in North Naples. In addition to Reuben sandwiches and matzo ball soup, TooJay’s offers a taste of the Big Apple for breakfast, lunch and dinner daily with generous portions of comfort foods.
Many of the sandwiches feature hand-sliced meats such as hot pastrami and corned beef that are rolled up to create an impressive presentation. Deli sandwiches include the Triple J — corned beef, roast beef, turkey and Swiss cheese rolled with coleslaw and homestyle Russian dressing.
Entrees include build-your-own burgers and chicken sandwiches, shepherd’s pie, pot roast, liver and onions, beef brisket, fish and chips, crab-stuffed cod and stuffed cabbage. Deli dogs feature two grilled all-beef franks topped with pastrami, coleslaw and Russian dressing or topped with bacon and cheddar cheese or sauerkraut.
The breakfast menu has signature Benedicts, skillets, omelets, wraps and sandwiches, as well as morning specials such as waffle sliders and chicken and waffles.
The 3,100-square-foot space will seat 74 guests inside and 42 on the patio. TooJay’s will be open daily from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. For more information go to TooJay’s.com.
Photos: TooJay's Deli coming to Naples
► Dave & Buster's: The buzz couldn’t be bigger for the region’s first Dave & Buster’s targeted to open April 8 in Bell Tower Shops at U.S. 41 and Daniels Parkway in south Fort Myers. The restaurant, bar and arcade game entertainment venue will anchor the north end of Bell Tower in 40,000 square feet of space formerly occupied by Saks Fifth Avenue.
The Dallas-based chain has opened more than 120 locations since it launched in 1982. Each store has a full-service restaurant, a video arcade with state-of-the-art games, and a sports bar with massive HDTV screens. Of its six locations in Florida, the nearest are in Brandon and Hollywood.
An extensive menu includes shareable items and appetizers, soups and salads, ribs and wings, tacos and sandwiches, flame-grilled burgers and steaks, pasta and other entrees. Its full bar has margaritas and specialty cocktails.
Despite its video game offerings, Dave & Buster’s isn’t exactly a hangout for kids. Adults rule. Children younger than 18 must be accompanied by a guardian age 25 or older, with a maximum of six children per guardian. Guests younger than 21 must exit the venue by 11 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, although it stays open until 2 a.m. those nights. For more information go to DaveandBusters.com.
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Photos: Many more restaurants coming in 2019
Need to know
Here are a couple more places that you may not have heard about yet but should have on your radar.
► Lake Park Diner: The folks who launched The Bevy and Smith Organics food truck at Celebration Park have another original concept planned this fall in Naples.
Owner Adam Smith and Chef Michael Voorhis will introduce Lake Park Diner later this year on Seventh Avenue North just east of U.S. 41. A former car wash and business there were demolished last month to make way for construction of the one-story restaurant at 944 Seventh Ave. N.
“It should take six months to build it. We hope to get a permit this month to start building,” Smith said.
The midcentury modern look planned for the new building will give it an old-school diner vibe. However, it’s a walk-up diner with no indoor seating. The diner will have 48 seats on a 1,000-square-foot covered patio in the center of the lot and 18 parking spaces mostly along its western edge behind DQ Grill & Chill.
The 1,544-square-foot restaurant basically serves as a commercial kitchen on the eastern edge of the property, with service windows in front and restrooms accessible from the side. It’s a minimalist approach for a restaurant with “very clean, simple food” for breakfast, lunch, dinner and late night, Smith said.
Chef Voorhis has been slowly building out the menu by testing foods at Smith Organicsin the new food truck venue on Bayshore Drive in East Naples. You already can sample the Lake Park Burger smothered with gooey raclette cheese, as well as a pimento chicken panini, Korean beef tacos, grain bowls and salads that will probably make their way onto the diner’s menu.
The new diner will offer more, though, such as rotisserie chicken, authentic fish and chips, and a full bar.
“We’re definitely going to be heavily focused on rotisserie chickens and we’re going to do some really great sides — duck fat-roasted potatoes, truffle mac and cheese, roasted root vegetables, sides like that,” Voorhis said. “We are going to be doing some cool stuff. We’re still going to be a little bit fun and a little healthy at the same time.”
► Oak & Stone: A restaurant and sports bar specializing in artisan wood-fired pizzas and self-serve craft beer is coming to a freestanding building under construction in Logan Landings, the new retail center opening in six weeks with Sprouts Farmers Market at Immokalee Road and Logan Boulevard.
The North Naples location will be the fourth for Oak & Stone, established three years ago in Sarasota by a Midwestern transplant looking for the optimal place to enjoy football, family, food and beer. A second location opened last summer in St. Petersburg, and a third is set to open soon in a new hotel in Bradenton.
“The standard tavern fare is elevated with options such as Sticky Porter BBQ Sliders, Pretzel Crusted Tuna Sashimi or Triple Cheddar Pale Ale Mac. Fresh offerings such as delicious salads and hummus plates round out the menu,” according to information on OakandStone.com. “And of course, there is the beer. Oak & Stone boasts the largest RFID (radio-frequency identification) technology self-serve brew wall in the region with 56 taps of golden beer goodness that you can pour by the ounce. Showcasing local and American craft breweries.”
The 5,300-square-foot restaurant will include outdoor seating on a patio next to a water feature on that corner. An Oak & Stone representative could not be reached for comment regarding a target opening date.
Big on barbecue
Barbecue is the word on the street for 2019. In addition to Nawty Hogg Backyard BBQ expanding on its Celebration Park food truck with a brick-and-mortar location coming soon to the Publix-anchored Brooks Village retail center at Collier Boulevard and Pine Ridge Road, at least two other barbecue joints are planning to open this year.
► Pit Commander at Ankrolab Brewing: A barbecue food truck that relocated last year from the heart of Texas will have its permanent home at the new brewhouse getting ready to open next to Taqueria San Julian on Bayshore Drive in East Naples.
The cold craft beers of Ankrolab Brewing Co. will be paired with hot smoked brisket, spare ribs, pulled pork, sausage and turkey breast of Pit Commander Barbecue, a commercial kitchen on wheels commanded by Stephan T. Nedwetzky. He has been tempting taste buds Saturdays at the farmers market in the Galleria Shoppes at Vanderbilt in North Naples. He sells out early every week.
Nedwetzky proudly creates Central Texas barbecue, which means the meats rely more on rubs and less on sauce than other regions. Of course, he also follows family recipes for sides such as barbecue beans, potato salad, coleslaw and Texas Tornadoes — brisket and cream cheese-filled jalapenos wrapped with bacon. He’ll even have apple dumplings smoked on the pit.
Pit Commander is already planning a special schedule for barbecue taco Tuesdays, with both homemade corn masa tortillas and deep-fried puffy tacos. On Saturdays, expect specialty meats such as Wagyu beef belly and beef ribs.
“We’ll work on a seasonal menu, as well, to maybe have a small pairing menu, too,” Ankrolab owner Adam Kelley said.
When exactly Ankrolab Brewing Co. will start brewing is still up in the air, though. Its start is on hold because of the effect of the government’s stoppage on the Alcohol & Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau.
“Ankrolab is progressing steadily and construction is set to finish the first week of February,” Kelley said. “Unfortunately, we are experiencing delays due to the federal government shutdown. We are still waiting on a federal license and will not be able to brew beer until a budget is passed and the required bureau resumes work and approves our application.”
► Off the Bone Rib House: Off the Bone Rib House is coming to a 2,744-square-foot space in a multitenant building near Sprouts in the new Logan Landings retail center in North Naples. The eatery is a new dining concept for Randy Seyler, who operates three area locations of Pelican Larry’s Raw Bar & Grill. Seyler is teaming up with a local barbecue expert for his latest venture, which veers from the Pelican Larry’s concept he started more than 20 years ago.
“It’s going to be different,” he said. “Everything’s going to be smoked on-site.”
The smoker will be in a bump-out area in back of the restaurant.
“We’re going to do some smoked wings, jalapeno sausage, sliced brisket sandwiches, brisket and pulled pork tacos,” Seyler said. “We’re thinking about having turkey legs for football games. I want to do a lot of carry-out and catering, too.”
The new restaurant will have an indoor-outdoor full bar as well as patio seating. After receiving county permits to start interior construction, the buildout is expected to take more than three months, Seyler said.
“I expect we should be open by June,” he said.
Center ringers
Many local retail centers have new dining projects on the table.
Newcomer Logan Landings, under construction on the southeast corner of Logan and Immokalee, has at least a half-dozen eateries in addition to Oak & Stone, Newk’s Eatery and Off the Bone Rib House that will come online this year.
► Brooks Gourmet Burgers & Dogs: The fourth location for Brooks Gourmet Burgers and Dogs will open in August or September in the inline strip between Sprouts and Pet Supermarket. Todd Brooks’ evolving restaurant concept already has locations in Naples, East Naples and North Naples.
He recently added a few grilled cheese options to the menu as well as a handful of options for wings, including Waffled Wings — chicken wings deep-fried in waffle batter and drizzled with real maple syrup and sea salt.
The Logan Landings location will include a full sports bar with televisions as well as a full-service ice cream shop. The adjacent shop will have a separate entrance from Brooks Burgers but also be connected with an inner doorway and provide dessert for the restaurant.
“It’s a great location for the kids,” Brooks said. “It’s really nice. There are going to be a lot of tables out front.”
Meanwhile, near Estero's border, University Village Shops launched in 2018 with a big lineup of new restaurants on Ben Hill Griffin Parkway abutting Florida Gulf Coast University. Another half dozen are expected to join them this year.
► Poke Fusion:Poke Fusion just launched Tuesday in a unit next to Smoothie King. The quick-service shop infuses an explosion of flavors into its poke bowls, a healthy Hawaiian dish increasing in popularity. Diners can choose from a menu of favorite fusions or create their own poke fusions by choosing a base (white or brown rice, kale or mixed greens), a protein (ahi tuna, salmon, shrimp, crab salad, tofu or chicken), a sauce (wasabi aioli, spicy mayo, eel sauce, ponzu, shoyu or spicy ponzu or spicy shoyu), up to four vegetable or fruit toppers such as avocado, carrots, corn, cucumber, edamame, green onion, jalapeno, mango, Mandarin oranges, pickled ginger, pico de gallo, tomato, watermelon radish and seaweed salad; and a crispy top-off such as crispy onion, crushed nuts, lotus chips, pink sea salt, plantains or sesame seeds. For more information go to PokeFusionSWFL.com.
► KC American Bistro: Keith Casey, chef and owner of KC American Bistro, is planning to open in University Village Shops at the end of March or the first week in April. His second, larger restaurant with indoor and outdoor dining will be in a corner unit next to The Shaved Ice Bar on the northeastern edge of the shops.
Continuing to operate his popular dinner-only restaurant in The Pavilion of North Naples as he has since June 2009, Casey plans to add lunch and Sundays to his new venture in Lee County. “I’ll start with dinner, then add lunch after only about a week,” he said.
Although not all of his American regional cuisine selections change every day, Casey prints KC’s menu daily to take advantage of seasonal and local ingredients available. His new restaurant will build upon what he has been able to do in Collier County during the last decade.
“We’ll have some more selections because it will be a larger kitchen, so we’ll be able to do more of a variety,” he said.
► Slicers Hoagies: Another Collier restaurateur is building out its second location at UV shops. Billy Francis is targeting to open his new Slicers Hoagies in early March in the unit between F45 and The Shaved Ice Bar. The Naples resident launched his first local sandwich shop in February 2017 in Marquesa Plaza on the southeast corner of Livingston and Pine Ridge roads. The new Lee County location will be a chance for Francis to achieve the slick store design he originally wanted for his first one, he said.
“This second location will be our model store for others to come,” he said.
► Marlins Brewhouse and Caliburger: The partners who opened the first Marlins Brewhouse last spring with Chronic Tacos in south Fort Myers will be back with a second location this fall called Marlins Brewhouse: Local Craft Beer & Daiquiri Bar. Its 6,500-square-foot space across from the recently opened Mellow Mushroom fronting Ben Hill Griffin Parkway will be shared with Caliburger, a fast-casual chain that already has a strong buzz because of its comparisons to California-crazed In-N-Out Burger.
The new Marlins will feature a range of frozen, Fat Tuesday-style daiquiris and a full-liquor bar. Those spirits also will be infused into Caliburger's signature "spiked milkshakes."
► Get Fried Fry Cafe: Get Fried is coming to a small unit next to Yoga Loft in UV Shops. The new fast-casual franchise creates customizable french fries with four types of fries, five types of meats and more than 20 sauces, seasonings and toppings. The French-Canadian-inspired specialty eatery also features milkshakes and more to accompany its quick-serve fries topped with items such as gravy, truffle oil or pulled pork.
► Sunshine Sundaes & Desserts: Don’t forget dessert. Every day is a sundae at Sunshine Sundaes & Desserts, coming next to Skillets in UV Shops.
More to come
Local restaurateur Bobby Fong, who launched Drop the Anchor seafood restaurant last month in Naples, plans to open two Let’s Eat eateries with Asian fusion cuisine in East Naples. They are planned in Shops at Eagle Creek on U.S. 41 East and the Pelican Larry’s Plaza on Davis Boulevard.
Thai Thai Sushi Bowl plans to reopen in June in its new location near the former Panera Bread in the Promenade at Naples Centre at Airport-Pulling Road and Naples Boulevard in North Naples. It vacated its drive-thru last summer so Panera could relocate there.
In addition to Yard House, Rocco’s Tacos, TooJay’s and Caliburger, many buzz-worthy franchises are on the horizon for the region. Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen has fanatics excited with locations coming this year to Collier Boulevard in Golden Gate and U.S. 41 in Bonita Springs. Blaze Pizza is finally coming to the region in south Fort Myers across from Bell Tower Shops in a 2,800-square-foot outparcel near Bealls in Cypress Trace at U.S. 41 South and Cypress Lake Drive.
Five Guys and Starbucks are coming to Bonita Beach Road in a new little retail strip just west of the Interstate 75 interchange. Wendy’s is planned at Tamiami Crossings fronting U.S. 41 East at Collier Boulevard. First Watch is expected to join Restaurant Row on the competing corner.
Again, these coming restaurants are just what we know now. Expect many more surprises this year.
Happy New Year!
Know more
For the latest in local restaurants coming and going, see Tim Aten’s “In the Know” columns archived at naplesnews.com/intheknow, and on Facebook at facebook.com/timaten.intheknow.
At least 16 new local restaurants are expected to open in January and February. Tim Aten, tim.aten@naplesnews.com; 239-263-4857
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