Q: Can you update us on new restaurants coming to Route 41 and Collier Boulevard or new restaurants in that area? —Tom Curley, Naples

A: Maple Street Biscuit Co., a restaurant chain that prides itself on scratch-made Southern comfort food with a modern twist, is planning to launch its first regional location early next year in the second phase of Restaurant Row on Collier Boulevard near its intersection with U.S. 41 East. Its original plans to open this fall have been delayed.

“We currently do not have an exact date set for our Naples location, but we are looking at late spring for opening,” said Mindy Schieb, facilities manager for new store development at Maple Street Biscuit Co.

Co-founders Gus Evans and Scott Moore opened their first Maple Street community store in Jacksonville in late 2012. Tennessee-based Cracker Barrel purchased Maple Street Biscuit in 2019.

The chain is in nine Southern states and expanded into Ohio last year. It has more than 60 locations, the nearest of which are in Sarasota and Pembroke Pines.

Known for its biscuits and gravy, Maple Street has a menu with biscuit sandwiches, waffles, bowls and tacos, as well as beverages that include a variety of coffee drinks, peach-berry lemonade and mimosas. The Squawking Goat, which was featured on the Food Network, is a biscuit sandwich with fried chicken, a goat cheese medallion and pepper jelly.

Still nothing to report yet for a couple of restaurant spaces recently vacated in that area, including the Pollo Tropical drive-thru in Restaurant Row and the BurgerFi endcap in Shops at Eagle Creek.

Denny’s status

Q: Do you know what is going in the Rib City building on 41 in East Naples? —Kim Phillips Bernth, Naples

A: Denny’s is building out the outparcel space that formerly was Rib City at 3871 U.S. 41 E. in Naples Towne Centre South in East Naples.

After a few setbacks, that new location of Denny’s is still targeted to launch this fall, said Vic Cuda, vice president and chief operating officer of RREMC Restaurants, a company headquartered in West Palm Beach that is one of the largest Denny’s franchisees in the nation.

“We lost two weeks. Should be open right after Thanksgiving Day,” Cuda said this week.

Although Denny’s has multiple locations in Lee County, the East Naples restaurant will be the first in Southwest Florida for RREMC, which operates 18 Denny’s in Florida.

The local opening will reintroduce the national casual dining concept to the Naples market after more than 17 years. Collier County’s only location closed in early 2007 after operating for more than 15 years at 3350 U.S. 41 N., now home to Blueberry’s restaurant.

Fort Myers-based Rib City permanently closed its East Trail location in the summer of 2020 after operating it for more than 20 years.

Also in Naples Towne Centre South, Tropical Smoothie Cafe is coming to the space that formerly was Benzer Pharmacy. That space also hosted Dunkin’ Donuts many years ago.

In the adjoining Naples Towne Centre North, Planet Fitness plans to muscle its way into the 21,000-square-foot space that Save A Lot grocery store vacated years ago.

Midtown tenants

Q: I live in Bonita Springs and have been watching the build of Midtown at Bonita. So many of my neighbors and I are so curious if any stores have committed to opening there. We were all really curious and then I thought, I’ll ask Tim’s in the Know. Do you have any info you can share with me? —Jamie Tuttman Karasyk, Bonita Springs

A: Eight retail tenants recently were announced as coming to Midtown at Bonita, the major mixed-use development planned east of Interstate 75 on the north side of Bonita Beach Road at Bonita Grande Drive in Bonita Springs.

The local development will include Chipotle Mexican Grill, Panera Bread, The Hangry Bison restaurant, Club Pilates fitness studio, Good Vets veterinary clinic, Jeff’s Bagel Run, Noire the Nail Bar and Bonita Beach Wine & Spirits. Several local and national retailers are still negotiating leases, so more tenants will be announced.

The 68-acre development by The Zuckerman Group also will include Paradiso Bonita Springs, a 400-unit luxury apartment community that is already under construction on 10 acres there. Scheduled to open in 2026, Midtown at Bonita is designed to prioritize walkability and open spaces.

Coming soon

Q: Wondering if you know what store is being built in the Ollie’s shopping center on the corner of Bonita Beach and 41? Construction has been going on for a while and it looks to be a pretty large space. —Kaitlyn O’Toole, Bonita Springs

A: Ross Dress for Less is coming to that 17,000-square-foot space between Ollie’s Bargain Outlet and Harbor Freight in the Springs Plaza shopping center on the southeast corner of U.S. 41 and Bonita Beach Road.

The new store will be the seventh in Lee County for Ross, a California-based chain of department stores. It fills the space Goodwill vacated in 2021 after operating there for 12 years. In 2021, Goodwill relocated its store east on Bonita Beach Road to Imperial Bonita Plaza.

Commercial sale

Berkshire Plaza, the retail strip that hosts Beef O’Brady’s, Domino’s Pizza and a few other tenants on the northwest corner of Radio Road and Santa Barbara Boulevard in East Naples, recently sold for $5.2 million, KOVA Commercial Group announced this week. The freestanding 11,496-square-foot commercial strip at 7385 Radio Road is on the corner of the Publix-anchored Berkshire Commons shopping center.

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