Q: Do you know what happened to Naples Pizza in the Berkshire Commons? Do you know what might take over the space now that they are closed? Thanks. —Marie McCoop, East Naples 

Q: Did you hear about Rosati’s Sports Pub’s south Fort Myers (Jamaica Bay) location? —Bradley Pietrzak, Estero 

Q: Do you know why Pizzata pizza on Piper Boulevard closed? —Melissa Flom, Naples 

A: A handful of pizzerias in Southwest Florida closed post-season during the last six weeks. 

Naples Pizza 

Naples Pizza permanently closed Memorial Day weekend after doing business for more than 15 years in East Naples. 

The local pizzeria operated with various owners at 7087 Radio Road in a 1,676-square-foot unit that abuts the Publix supermarket anchoring Berkshire Commons on that northwest corner of Radio and Santa Barbara Boulevard. 

Regency Centers, the real estate investment trust that owns and operates Berkshire Commons, intends to quickly sign another tenant soon that will be attractive to the neighborhood, said Marc Elias, a senior leasing agent for the Jacksonville-based public company that operates hundreds of shopping centers nationwide. 

“Short of this, we are 100% leased with significant interest on the space for a like concept or something different,” Elias said. “Regency does a great job of bringing quality tenants and staying 100% leased. It won’t be long before we backfill the space.” 

Two freestanding outparcels on the edge of Berkshire Commons also host pizzerias, so it’s a competitive situation. Tony’s N.Y. Pizza opened last year in a multitenant building near the northeast corner of the retail center, while Domino’s has had a location in a longtime outparcel fronting Radio Road. 

Rosati’s Pizza Sports Pub 

Rosati’s Pizza Sports Pub permanently closed June 6 after its lease was not renewed in Shops at Jamaica Bay in south Fort Myers. The local franchise of the Chicago-based Rosati’s had operated since June 1, 2015, at the northern end of that retail strip at 15245 U.S. 41. 

“It is with heavy hearts that we announce we have to close our business. We were informed Thursday [June 6] that we lost our lease. We have greatly enjoyed serving you over the last 9 years. Thank you,” reads a June 7 post on the restaurant’s Facebook page. 

Popular for its Chicago-style deep-dish and thin-crust pizzas, regional locations of Rosati’s still operate at 21301 S. Tamiami Trail, Suite 400, in Estero; 9011 Daniels Parkway, Suite 104, in south Fort Myers; and 818 Neapolitan Way in Naples. Another Rosati’s franchise closed last year in Bonita Springs. 

Pizzata Pizzeria 

The owners of Pizzata Pizzeria + Aperitivo permanently closed June 9 after operating less than two years in North Naples in order to focus on their other restaurants in Philadelphia.  

The local pizzeria, known for artisan pizzas made with sourdough, opened in the summer of 2022 in Piper’s Crossing, the retail center across Immokalee Road from Sam’s Club. Another pizzeria is already destined to open this fall in the space recently vacated by Pizzata and formerly home for many years to Mangino’s Pizza Bar at 1201 Piper Blvd., Suite 17. 

“Realizing we couldn’t give the store the attention it deserved, we’ve decided to pass the torch and turn our full focus to expanding our main ventures in Philly,” said Vinny Gallagher, who still co-owns two Philadelphia locations of Pizzata with Davide Lubrano Lavadera. 

“This year threw us some curveballs, and despite giving it our all, the seasonal swings proved tough to navigate,” Gallagher added. 

Lubrano agreed, saying that they really loved Naples, but the seasonality of the area is hard to survive unless fully involved. Instead, they chose to focus on their acclaimed restaurants in Philadelphia.  

“Unfortunately, we had to make the sad decision to shut down and focus our energy up north where we opened another place,” Lubrano said. 

More pieces of pie 

As previously reported, Cici’s Pizza closed June 7 after operating for nearly 20 years across the street from Pizzata in Uptown Center. Local franchisee Philip Santucci just decided not to renew his franchise agreement with the national restaurant chain. 

Orzo Pizza & Pasta was one of the multiple dining concepts that closed May 23 in The Causeway food hall on Old 41 Road in Bonita Springs. The Causeway plans to eventually relaunch with a new restaurant operator, while the chef who created Orzo, Smithy’s Kitchen, Roast Sandwich Bar and Dessert Lab is searching for a new restaurant space in the Naples area. 

Where’s the beef? 

Q: I’m wondering if you know what’s going in on Bonita Beach Road next to Waffle House, west of 75. —Kathy Romuld, Bonita Springs 

A: A new location for Wendy’s, the Ohio-based fast-food hamburger chain, is under construction next to Waffle House on the south side of Bonita Beach Road, just west of Interstate 75 exit 116. 

The 2,093-square-foot, quick-serve restaurant with a drive-thru window is expected to open this fall at 28090 Quails Nest Lane. Another Wendy’s in Bonita Springs operates less than 4 miles away at 28140 S. Tamiami Trail, on the west side of U.S. 41 just south of Bonita Beach Road. 

Meanwhile, the neighboring Waffle House is temporarily closed while it undergoes some renovations to keep up with the Joneses. While it’s true that Waffle House restaurants are always open, the location at 28100 Quails Nest Lane in Bonita has some special circumstances and is expected to reopen later this year after it is renovated inside and out to bring it into compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.  

In addition to awning modifications, the interior will be remodeled with ADA-compliant restrooms. The parking lot of the longtime Waffle House also will be repaired, repoured and restriped to bring it into compliance with the ADA, according to records from the Bonita Springs Community Development Department. 

BK building back better 

Q: What is going in the spot where Burger King was demolished at the Bonita Bay Plaza shopping center? —Marian F., Bonita Springs 

A: The franchisee of that Burger King restaurant is rebuilding a new, more modern BK in front of Bonita Bay Plaza on U.S. 41 in Bonita Springs. The old one was demolished by the company a couple of months ago after operating for nearly 25 years in that outparcel lot at 26789 S. Tamiami Trail. 

The new Burger King is targeted to reopen there in 45 to 60 days, said Robin Kendall, director of engineering and design for Quality Dining Inc., the Indiana-based company that operates more than 100 Burger King restaurants in Florida. The newest prototype will add a second drive-thru lane and updated corporate imaging and standards to improve the overall appearance of the property, according to BravoFlorida LLC, the Florida affiliate of QDI. 

The franchisee managed similar rebuilding projects at multiple locations of Burger King in Collier and Lee counties over the last five years. 

The fast-food redevelopment projects are more than just cosmetic changes. The addition of a second lane for ordering fast food enables faster service and has proven to create an uptick in business for the new-and-improved restaurants. “Every store we do sees an improvement,” Kendall said. 

The “Tim Aten Knows” weekly column answers local questions from readers. Email Tim at tim.aten@naplespress.com.