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Proving the lesson learned from The Tortoise and the Hare fable, The Turtle Club reopening exemplifies how success can be achieved by taking time for steady progress.  

After a series of private friends and family events this week, The Turtle Club will reopen May 5 and begin taking reservations again May 6. The 25-year-old iconic beachfront restaurant in North Naples was temporarily shuttered for more than 19 months after Hurricane Ian sent a wall of water crashing through its space on the ground floor of the Vanderbilt Beach Resort in September 2022. Although the 34-room hotel—one of the last familyowned beachfront hotels remaining in Collier County—was able to reopen last year, the restaurant remained closed while its interior was completely rebuilt.   

A slow and steady process enabled the rebuilding and reopening of the popular upscale dining destination at 9225 Gulf Shore Drive, said Mick Moore, co-owner of the local resort and restaurant.  

“It’s just taken a while, but we’re happy with the result,” Moore said. “We wanted to make sure that we put it back and it was familiar to people so that it was what they loved, but yet it was updated. And, then of course, we had to comply with all of the regulations and county codes and everything.”  

Peter Tierney, co-owner of The Turtle Club, said diners will not notice a lot of the changes, upgrades and nuances in efficiency and modernization the restaurateurs implemented in the renovations, but they will be happy to see the restaurant’s fresh look.  

“I think it looks familiar, but yet it’s what they remember,” Tierney said.  

The owners have enjoyed hearing compliments from the restaurant’s devotees who have had a chance to get a sneak peek this week of the makeover.  

“It’s brighter. So, it’s a lot lighter than it used to be before,” Moore said. “It’s the same layout, but people are delighted with the updated look. So, it’s a lighter, more modern look, but still classic, still something that’s not going to ever go out of style. And, still, it’s casual, yet it has a feel of elegance to it.”  

The Turtle Club reopened after being damaged by Hurricane Ian in 2022.Some Turtle fans say the property has the atmosphere of a beach house, Tierney said.  

“It’s very nice to hear, because that’s a comfortable feeling—and that’s what we are here,” he said. “It’s familiar without it being too over the top. So, it just worked out well.”  

The Turtle Club provides an easy way for people to experience the beach and the water without actually spending the day at the beach, Moore said, noting that it’s one of the few places in Naples where really anybody can come to enjoy the beach.  

“It’s kind of a chore to pack up and go to the beach,” he said. “But they can get in a car, come here for lunch, their car is valeted, they can sit down and enjoy the beach without having to go through a lot of preparation. It’s just an easy way for people in the county to come and really experience it.”  

Through the work of General Manager Curtis McCreary and Executive Chef Dylan Evans, The Turtle Club welcomed back about 80% of its employees. McCreary, who has had 18 years with the company and 15 years as part of management, is excited to be back serving guests again from an all-new kitchen in a completely new restaurant interior designed for modern technology and convenience.  

The Turtle Club reopened after being damaged by Hurricane Ian in 2022.“It’s amazing. It’s a long time coming,” he said. “Everything’s updated; everything’s where I wanted it.”  

A symbol and namesake for the restaurant—a large sea turtle shell—has returned to its spot as a prominent wall decoration just inside the main entrance on the north side of the restaurant. When Tierney was originally planning the restaurant in the late 1990s with Moore’s dad and resort co-owner, Michael J. Moore, they named the restaurant after Mick’s dad pulled out the turtle shell that the original owner of the hotel found washed up on the beach there in the 50s. 

It’s also symbolic of one of the only remaining familyowned businesses on the beach in Collier County. With daily offers to sell the property, that local legacy is quite an accomplishment.  

“We view what we do here as an important part of who we are as a family,” Moore said. “It’s in my bones, my dad’s bones, Pete’s bones—hospitality. When the owner is onsite and present or close by, it’s a different experience than when a private equity fund is managing a property. Nothing against private equity, which can be a wonderful thing for people, but it’s just different when somebody who’s grown up here is here everyday monitoring and trying to make sure everybody has the best experience. It’s a calling; it’s not something that is just a business.”  

The restaurant’s owners are complimentary of the county staff, who they said were supportive and responsive during the renovation project. They did a wonderful job of working through this very difficult process, for sure,” Moore said.  

The recent renovations reach beyond obvious visual elements, reinforcing the property with better structural integrity for the future.  

The Turtle Club reopened after being damaged by Hurricane Ian in 2022.“There are limitations on what we can do because of the nature of being on the ground floor and being in the flood zone we’re in, but we’ve done everything we can to improve resiliency,Moore said. “So, we hope that if another storm like that happens, we’ll be able to come back faster.”  

The remarkable overall support the restaurant has had during its prolonged shuttering and the overwhelming participation in a pre-opening contest may predict that the off-season this summer may be the most successful ever. The restaurant received 60,000 entries for three winners of $200 gift cards who are guaranteed reservations during the first reopening week.  

There’s been such a desire for people to come while we’ve been closed, and we haven’t been able to accommodate. We’re hoping that people really want to come during the summer, and we think that will happen, but we don’t know for sure. We’re privileged to get whatever we get. We’re going to do our best to accommodate everybody who wants to come.”  

The Turtle Club reopened after being damaged by Hurricane Ian in 2022.The restaurant team has sincere gratitude for the positive attention it is receiving and has received over the years for the special destination.   

“We know that many people have celebrated milestones here like proposals and memorials and graduations. We’re very amazed and humbled, Moore said. “And our staff are also very attuned to the fact that when people are coming here, it can be often a special event. And we do our best to make sure that everyone, whether it’s a regular meal or a special event are treated the same, but that they’re very sensitive to the fact that in a fast kind of uncaring world, this is a chance where people can connect and they can be with their loved ones and maybe put the phone down and really pay attention to each other and to the ocean. And we love it. We think it’s important work that we do, and we love doing it every day.”  

The Turtle Club will be open daily 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. for lunch and 5 to 9 p.m. for dinner. 

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