Two new businesses are moving into endcap spaces at Naples Walk, the Publix-anchored retail center operated by Regency Centers on the southeast corner of Airport-Pulling and Vanderbilt Beach roads in North Naples.
Tumbles children’s gym is targeted to open this spring in Suite 530, a 2,800-square-foot unit that formerly has been home to a karate business and a health food store. The franchise will be owned and operated by Michael Webster, a Naples native and graduate of Barron Collier High School. “I’ve been here 39 years and am excited about giving something back to the community,” said Webster, noting that the Naples area doesn’t offer enough activities for children and families.
“The parents are ready for it. We can’t get the doors open soon enough,” Webster said.
The concept behind Tumbles is to get kids moving and thinking. It features a variety of gym classes for kids ages 4 months to 12 years and STEAM classes for kids ages 4 to12 with hands-on learning opportunities around science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics.
“Typically, classes are 45 to 55 minutes,” Webster said. “Typically, our classroom sizes are 10 to 15.”
In addition to gym fun and classroom instruction, Tumbles plans summer camps, including robotics and coding camps, as well as open gym sessions some evenings and birthday parties on the weekend. Webster hopes to serve 350 to 450 children in the community.
“The number one goal for us is building the confidence of the children,” he said, noting that Tumbles is recreational in a safe, non-competitive environment.
Meanwhile, Mila Bistro is renovating Suite 500 for an April launch of a local restaurant specializing in a variety of traditional Argentinian empanadas and milanesas, the South American variation of a wiener schnitzel breaded cutlet. The new 1,400-square-foot restaurant also will have authentic Argentine sandwiches such as the lomito steak sandwich and the choripan with sausage, chimichurri and criolla sauce served on a baguette. Old Europe Bistro recently closed at that location after serving its German, Czech and Eastern European cuisine for 18 years.
