SWFL NowVERIFIED NEWS. LOCAL IMPACT.83°F in Cape Coral,Sunny · Cape Coral
The Southwest Florida stories that are too local, too early or too ongoing for the evening news.
Friday, November 20
The City of Cape Coral is hosting a roundtable for retail business owners and operators on Friday, Nov. 20, at City Hall to discuss barriers to growth, expansion and attracting new retailers. Seating is limited; RSVP to the city's Economic and Business Development office at EDevOffice@CapeCoral.gov by Nov. 16.
Source: City of Cape Coral and 1 more
Cape Coral City Council on Monday, Nov. 2, approved an incentive package worth up to $10 million for the city's first Costco, planned at 600 Chiquita Boulevard South. As proposed, it includes up to $8 million in property tax recapture over as long as 25 years, up to $1.8 million in impact fee reimbursements and deferral of up to $200,000 in utility fees, with Costco adding turn lanes and a traffic signal on Chiquita. No opening date has been announced.
Source: WINK News and 2 more
Café YOU, a locally owned spot at 1423 SE 10th St. in Cape Coral, serves made-from-scratch breakfast and lunch with Australian touches, plus vegan and gluten-free choices and specialty coffee. Owner Marlies Laaper opened it in 2015. The café plans a vegan Thanksgiving dinner this month and is open Monday through Saturday, 7:45 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Source: WINK News
The Naples pizzeria LowBrow Pizza & Beer is building out a nearly 5,000-square-foot restaurant at the MidTown at Bonita development on Bonita Beach Road. The owner expects to open in late December, with a menu almost identical to the Naples spot. A hiring open house is set for Nov. 1 and 2.
Source: The News-Press and 1 more
Collier County's Contractors' Licensing Board voted unanimously Oct. 21 to indefinitely revoke the permit-pulling privileges of Lexander Acosta, the state-certified qualifier for Modern Lux Pools, after finding willful building code violations. County investigators said 17 of the 18 permits pulled for the company under his license since early 2024 were abandoned or terminated. The county sent its evidence to the state DBPR, which has open cases on his license, and a state board hearing is set for next month.
Source: WINK News
Olde Naples Chocolate, which makes handcrafted chocolates, Florida-themed treats and gift boxes, now works out of a unit on North Diesel Drive in Bonita Springs, open weekdays 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. It ships orders nationwide and supplies local businesses, WINK reported in a feature on the company.
Source: WINK News and 1 more
Twila Mae's Chicken Salad, a fixture at Southwest Florida farmers markets since 2020, opened its first storefront Oct. 23 at 18011 S. Tamiami Trail in the San Carlos Park area. Owner Landon Stevenson named the business for his grandmother, whose recipe is the base for seven flavors plus a seasonal one. The stand will keep working its weekly markets, including Captiva and Marco Island.
Source: News-Press and 1 more
Saturday, October 31
Green Thumb's RISE Dispensary at 928 NE Pine Island Road, which opened Oct. 10 as the company's 25th Florida store, holds a grand opening Saturday, Oct. 31, starting at 9 a.m. The company says the event includes patient deals, giveaways, music and a food truck, with part of the profits going to The Grateful Veteran.
Source: Green Thumb Industries and 2 more
Cape Coral says it has partnered with Costco Wholesale on a warehouse of about 165,000 square feet with a member fuel station at 600 Chiquita Blvd. S., the chain's first store in the city. City Council will consider an incentive package of up to $10 million for site work and impact fees at its Nov. 2 meeting. No opening date has been set; it depends on Costco's construction schedule.
Source: City of Cape Coral and 3 more
Wicked Good Eats, a Naples food boat that sells sandwiches, seafood and wraps to boaters, took on water Saturday after a passing boat's wake flooded it. Naples Fire, Naples Police and a Towboat U.S. operator kept it afloat, and no injuries were reported. The owner expects the boat to be out of service for at least a week while a mechanic checks the damage.
Source: WINK News and 1 more
Saturday, November 14
Sierra, the off-price outdoor and activewear chain, will open an 18,676-square-foot store Nov. 14 in the former Party City space at Park Shore Plaza, 4377 Tamiami Trail N. It will be the chain's second Florida store after Jacksonville, and it is hiring full- and part-time workers.
Source: Gulfshore Business
Thursday, October 22
Whataburger's second Southwest Florida location opens Thursday, Oct. 22, at 22927 Lyden Drive in Estero, in the former Pollo Tropical building near Coconut Point. A ceremony is set for 10:30 a.m., with service starting at 11 a.m. It will be open 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily, unlike the 24-hour south Fort Myers location.
Source: Gulfshore Business and 1 more
Boat House Tiki Bar & Grill is now open in the main terminal at Southwest Florida International Airport, in the pre-security hallway to Concourse B, in space that Dunkin' and Beaches Travelmart left in April. State liquor license records show a full license there took effect Oct. 5. The original restaurant at the Cape Coral Yacht Club remains closed after an October 2024 fire; the city approved a 30-year rebuild agreement in September 2025.
Source: Florida DBPR and 2 more
Hertz, headquartered in Estero, announced Oct. 20 that its fleet management business Oro Mobility secured an $80 million strategic equity investment from a group that includes Cohen Private Ventures and funds tied to Certares and Knighthead. Hertz keeps majority economic ownership of Oro, which manages about 45,000 vehicles for rideshare rentals, driver-led fleets and autonomous vehicles in major U.S. markets.
Source: Hertz Newsroom and 2 more
Visitors to Collier County spent about $169 million in August, according to county tourism figures reported by WINK News. The station reported that not every local business felt the boost.
Source: WINK News and 1 more
The Naples Airport Authority approved an operating agreement with American Airlines for two daily nonstop flights between Naples and Charlotte, North Carolina, starting Dec. 2. American's regional carrier PSA Airlines will fly the route on 65-seat CRJ-700 jets from the North Road Terminal, which is being renovated. It brings scheduled airline service back to the airport for the first time in years.
Source: Gulf Coast News and 2 more
