Q: Any word on when Alamo Drafthouse in Mercato will be opening? —Tim Chermak, North Naples 

Q: What’s going on with Waxin’s opening in Mercato? They were originally supposed to open last fall, then December. —Steve Z., Naples 

A: Both Alamo Drafthouse Cinema and Waxin’s restaurant have experienced permitting issues and construction delays but both new businesses are targeted to open this spring at Mercato, the mixed-use destination near the northeast corner of U.S. 41 North and Vanderbilt Beach Road in North Naples. 

Alamo is officially now planning to open in “early spring,” according to Brad Johnson, a publicity director representing Alamo, a dine-in cinema chain based in Austin, Texas. 

“As you can imagine with permitting, etc., we can’t give an exact date yet,” Johnson said. 

Alamo is launching its first Florida location to replace Silverspot Cinema that closed last July after its lease was not renewed at Mercato after 15 years. The change is part of the overall repositioning of Mercato as more of a community entertainment destination, according to North American Properties, the leasing agent and property manager for the upscale property. Alamo caters to the cinephile, bringing a unique arthouse experience to Naples that will serve as a point of differentiation to any other theater in Southwest Florida, according to a NAP representative. 

“We are getting ready to announce another exciting part of Alamo,” said Lauren Ness, media relations manager for Atlanta-based NAP. 

Alamo Naples will have 11 auditoriums updated with about 650 new luxury recliner seats and 4K digital projection on the second floor at 9118 Strada Place in Mercato. Passersby on the ground can see the transformation taking shape with a large Tyrannosaurus rex figure looming near the top of the escalators just outside the cinema’s entrance. Venturing closer, patrons will see baby dinosaurs hatching in a nest of eggs behind it, while a shark with gaping jaws is near the cinema’s entrance with King Kong standing guard just inside the lobby.  

Alamo is not leasing the nearly 7,500-square-foot space on the other side of the escalators that Silverspot expanded with a 12th screen and lounge area a decade ago. That space has not been leased yet, NAP reports. 

Meanwhile, Waxin’s restaurant and bar is building out the 3,030-square-foot former space of The Counter Custom Burgers, which closed in May 2022 after operating for a decade on the edge of Mercato’s Piazza. 

“We have had crazy delays in the permits, but we finally got them two weeks ago,” said Patrik Waxin, co-founder of Waxin’s, which has another location in Palm Beach Gardens on the east coast of Florida. “We have completed demo and trenching and on Tuesday the plumber will start. We are aiming for an end-of-April opening.” 

The restaurant project was in a “hold” status until issues regarding site development plan insubstantial changes could be satisfied. The county wanted reassurance that plans to revise the outdoor seating area from 76 seats to 99 seats would not affect parking in Mercato. Waxin’s is adding more seating within a new unenclosed planter barrier and under a roof structure in the plaza. 

Waxin’s features classic Swedish and American cuisines and wine. Its Scandanavian specialties include Swedish meatballs with a cream sauce. The dish is served as en entree paired with potato puree and traditionally accompanied by pickled cucumber and lingonberries. 

More at Mercato 

In addition to Alamo and Waxin’s, two more hospitality venues as well as other businesses are still coming soon to Mercato. 

“There are a lot of things going on but we havent been able to do a formal release,” Ness said.  

Cincinnati-based Four Entertainment Group, or 4EG, will debut its third iteration of Beeline at Mercato later this year. It’s the first move into the Florida market for the upscale cocktail bar with a unique blend of craft concoctions, ales and spirits.  

The drinks-only concept will occupy a 4,000-square-foot end space at 9115 Strada Place, Suite 5155, that most recently was East West Fine Arts and the Original Selfie Museum. Construction is scheduled to start this summer with the bar anticipated to open by the end of the year. 

East West Fine Art relocated Feb. 13 to a larger space in Mercato previously occupied by Design West. It’s the second move within Mercato for East West owner Leeza Arkhangelskaya, who relocated her gallery last year so that a proposed Polestar dealership could take the space at 9115 Strada Place, Suite 5130, that East West occupied for a decade. Polestar is still petitioning the county to determine if an electric vehicle display space can be a permitted use within the Mercato master planned unit development. 

Tap 42 Craft Kitchen & Bar plans to build out the 6,600-square-foot former space of AZN Azian Cuizine, which closed in December after operating for nearly 15 years beneath the cinema at Mercato. The Mercato venue will be the first of 10 Tap 42 locations not on Florida’s east coast.   The Shade Store is coming soon to 9105 Strada Place, Suite 3130, next to the new Old Vines restaurant. The new store will sell premium custom window treatment, not to be confused with Shades, a sunglasses retailer. 

Also, iFlex Stretch Studios, a health and wellness service provider specializing in assisted stretch therapies, is coming in April to 9128 Strada Place, Suite 10112, near Hand & Stone massage and facial spa. 

Turtle Club update 

Q: Any new update on Turtle Club? —Dana Hagelberg Hilmoe, Naples 

A: Despite the best intentions and wishes, The Turtle Club’s reopening has been delayed until March. 

“We think we are going to be open by the end of March. We are starting to do some of the finishes and painting now,” said Mick Moore, who co-owns the iconic beachfront restaurant that has been a local favorite for 25 years on the ground floor of the Vanderbilt Beach Resort, 9225 Gulf Shore Drive in North Naples. “The date keeps moving back but I’m feeling better. We are getting closer.” 

The popular upscale dining destination has been temporarily shuttered since September 2022, when Hurricane Ian’s storm surge extensively damaged it. 

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