Q: Wondering if another restaurant will take the place of the Old Naples Pub? —Scott Bohm, Naples  

A: Another restaurant is in the works for the nearly 35-year-old space of the Old Naples Pub, which closed at the end of May in downtown Naples when its longtime owners retired. 

“It’s anticipated to be a restaurant and related facilities and outdoor dining,” said Barbara Walker, president of Naples-based Neapolitan Enterprises, which owns the Pub’s real estate and many other commercial properties in Old Naples. 

While the new restaurant or concept is not being revealed yet for the Courtyard Building, the new dining spot will be using Old Naples Pub’s Unit 102, the covered courtyard and the vacant retail space, Unit 103, immediately to its north at 255 13th Ave. S., off Third Street South. The new restaurant will include a deli-takeout area as well as a kitchen to be built in Unit 103, said Mark McLean of MHK Architecture during his recent presentation of exterior façade changes when they were approved by the Naples Design Review Board. 

“Unit 102 and 103 are both going to be occupied by the new potential tenant that we’re in negotiations with at this point,” McLean said. 

The DRB approved the property’s facade plans, which include removing the extensive vines on the buildings and patio canopy and repainting the pastel yellow buildings a pinkish color. 

“It’s called Perky Peach, to be exact,” Walker said. “Perky Peach is the color. I love it. It’s just sort of very Florida. The color is Perky Peach with Chantilly Lace trim, and then the black wrought iron work.” 

The new hue already was turning heads when MHK presented renderings for the exterior changes at the June 26 meeting of the DRB. 

“When I first opened these renderings, I said, ‘Well, it’s nice that we’re finally getting a building that’s isn’t being painted Hoffmann white,’ but I looked at it and, oh my god, pink?,” said DRB Chair Stephen Hruby, who clearly is not a Barbie fan nor crazy about pink, although he admits it’s trendy and in fashion. “You’re definitely going to get some attention on the street. I’m glad it’s not white.” 

Both the building’s owner and designer think the color change will be a great upgrade to the structures, which were built in 1990. 

“We think it just really cleans the building up,” McLean said. “We’re really just going to give it a whole new feel, a whole new vibe down there. It will be a great addition to the Third Street District and really bring some new life and some new vitalization down there.” 

Vine of the times 

In order to repaint the buildings, the vines that climbed to the top of the buildings had to be removed, something DRB members were not crazy about. 

“I am definitely very disappointed those vines are going away. I understand why,” said DRB member Douglas Haughey, who wants to see the vines replanted. “I just didn’t know if that was something that would be potentially looked at. I think they’re wonderful. They give that space so much more interest.” 

Although it took decades for the creeping fig and other aggressive vines to cover the building, expect some vines to be replanted after the painting project is finished. 

“I kind of agree with Doug on the vines,” Hruby said. “As long as I’ve been both coming to Naples and living here, those vines are iconic. That building was the ‘vine building’ to me and it just made that character, but they have gotten so out of control that it looks kind of like a ruin there rather than a pleasant space to be in.” 

Work to remove the vines was completed last week. It was a necessary first step in the renovation process because the vines had damaged a lot of the building, Walker said, noting that the plant growth ripped the white canvas covering the two-story canopy over the outdoor dining courtyard. 

“We’ve got to repaint it, and you couldn’t repaint it without moving them,” she said. “That’s taken the last several weeks. It looks so different, and it’s going to look a lot different when we get done with the painting.” 

Walker said the renovations will take most of the summer. 

“We’ll be announcing new tenants and what we’re doing and all that as we go along,” she said. 

Concurrently, the Lilly Pulitzer store in Unit 101 will be temporarily closed starting Aug. 5 while it is completely remodeled inside. The clothing store is expected to reopen in late fall, Walker said. 

“They’re building out a brand-new store there,” she said. “It’s a new kind of corporate store. It’s going to be absolutely beautiful. The plans are fantastic.” 

The lone structural change to the Courtyard Building includes the removal of two small, ground-level sets of steps at the edge of the open-air courtyard. The steps will be filled with concrete that will be level with the elevated courtyard floor and enclosed with railings. 

Existing awnings and light fixtures will be removed and replaced, including the large canvas awning above the outdoor dining area. The building’s existing landscaping will remain, other than the vine growth. 

“The proposed improvements are consistent with the city’s vision for the preservation of its small-town character. These changes enhance the appearance of a unique and well-maintained shopping and dining district in the heart of Old Naples,” city planner Jeff Brammer reports. 

Final permit plans will be submitted soon for enclosing the steps and building out the new tenant space. Of course, the Perky Peach paint job will begin soon, too. 

“It will be a different look, but, I think, a nice refreshing of the whole building,” Walker said. 

“I’m really excited about it. We’ve been working on it for a long time and now it’s all coming to fruition.” 

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