After reporting last week on the many new dining options coming this year to Bonita Springs and Estero, here’s a quick look at some of the new eateries expected in the Fort Myers area in 2023.  

A couple of upscale restaurant chains coming off Daniels Parkway in south Fort Myers have attracted a lot of early attention. Cooper’s Hawk Winery & Restaurant is targeted to open this spring along Six Mile Cypress Parkway, while The Capital Grille is targeted to launch around the end of the year at Bell Tower Shops. Both restaurants also have locations in North Naples.  

Construction on Cooper’s Hawk, a casual wine-centric venue, is nearly complete at 13671 Olympic Court, an outparcel lot at Publix-anchored Cypress Point at Daniels Crossing on the southwest corner of Daniels Parkway and Six Mile Cypress Parkway. The restaurant’s menu features items paired with Cooper’s Hawk wines. 

A Lee County location for The Capital Grille, a fine-dining steakhouse concept from Darden Restaurants, remains in the planning and permitting stages for the outlot spot of the former Mimi’s Café near the northeast corner of Daniels Parkway and U.S. 41. The construction project is not expected to begin for months so the new restaurant and bar may not open until early 2024, said Darden spokesman Rich Jeffers.  

A sure thing this year at Bell Tower will be the launch of McGregor’s Public House, a new local venue that plans a fresh twist on a traditional Irish pub experience.   

“We are going to offer an inviting atmosphere by featuring live, local musicians and community style seating, traditional brews on tap and a menu that puts a unique twist of the traditional food of the Celtic people,” said Meagan McGregor, who co-owns the new business with her husband, Tom, a general manager and director of food and beverage for many years at hospitality venues in Southwest Florida.  

McGregor’s, moving into World of Beer’s former Bell Tower space, 13499 Cleveland Ave., Suite 111, plans to open in late spring or early summer with beer and wine to start but will expand with the addition of liquor and more seating after its soft opening.   

La Ola also plans to open at Bell Tower this spring. The Fort Myers Beach restaurant has been operating a temporary makeshift setup from its original Times Square location that was destroyed by Hurricane Ian. Expect the second location of La Ola to have what owner Tom Houghton describes as a relaxed, fun, beach place with frozen drinks and live music.  

Another unique watering hole with food is coming this summer in downtown Fort Myers. A homebrewing operation for Swamp Cat Brewing Co. is targeted to launch a fully operational brewpub in July at 1943 Fowler St., the original site of First Assembly of God in Fort Myers decades ago. The freestanding building was built in 1953 on the corner of Fowler and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard.  

“We are going to have the brewery and brewpub in the main church building and we are going to have three kitchens in the second building that we will lease to food partners. And we’ll have a beer garden in the back between the buildings,” said Navy veteran Chris Gutierrez, the head brewer and owner of Swamp Cat, which refers to the Florida Panther, of course. A new Mexican restaurant and bar also are coming soon off Daniels Parkway just west of the Interstate 75 interchange. Casa Blanca Modern Mexican Tequila Bar is building out the former Stevie Tomato’s Sports Page at 9510 Marketplace Road in Fort Myers. Stevie Tomato’s closed there about a year ago and relocated to the former Fuzzy’s Taco Shop on Colonial.  

Jordan’s Wine Bar & Cellar is expected to open next week in unit 14 of Bridge Plaza, 12901 McGregor Blvd., Fort Myers. It’s another local venue from Chef Gloria Jordan and her husband, Brian, who have operated La Trattoria Café Napoli in south Fort Myers since 2005. Expect a wine bar and retail shop with live music and tapas inspired by Barcelona, Havana, New York City and beyond, its social media promises. 

Urban Buzz Coffee Co. is branching out this year with a second location in Lee County. The local coffee shop in Cape Coral is expanding soon to University Village near Florida Gulf Coast University. In addition to all kinds of coffees and energy drinks, Urban Buzz offers teas, smoothies, milkshakes and pastries.   

Anticipate many more restaurants, food trucks and culinary surprises still coming throughout Lee County in 2023.