With their Captiva Island restaurant temporarily shut down from Hurricane Ian damage, a pair of longtime friends and restaurateurs decided to open another one on Sanibel Island.  

Rosalita’s Cantina, a new Tex-Mex restaurant at 975 Rabbit Road, opened March 1, the same day owner Tim McGowan closed on it. He purchased the Rabbit Road Center at the corner of Rabbit Road and Sanibel Captiva Road for $6 million, making it the largest commercial center sale on the island in almost 20 years, said Berkshire Hathaway Home Services broker Evan duPont, who represented both the buyer and the seller, Sean Niesel.  

“Rabbit Road really needed a good restaurant to thrive,” Niesel said. “I just didn’t have the time or the energy to give back to Rabbit Road Center with all I have going on.”  

Niesel is tasked with rebuilding Shalimar Cottages & Motel, a boutique inn he owns off West Gulf Drive that had all 33 of its units and 15 buildings destroyed Sept. 28 by Hurricane Ian. Niesel said he could use the profits from the Rabbit Road sale to help fund the rebuilding of Shalimar.“The buyer and seller possess similar values and appreciation of the islands as well as a bullish outlook on the islands’ future as we continue down the road to recovery,” duPont said. “This trade was a classic, mutually beneficial transaction on Sanibel. The buyer is the perfect fit for the center, and he will bring a new life and valuable opportunities to the uniquely located space.”  

McGowan, owner of The Green Flash Restaurant on Captiva since 2021, pounced on the opportunity to buy the shopping center at the corner of what long has been anchored by a restaurant. It was the original location of Timbers Restaurant & Fish Market, Doc Ford’s Rum Bar & Grille and most recently 400 Rabbits, which did not return after the storm.  

The Doc Ford’s location has reopened at 2500 Island Inn Road on Sanibel but remains closed on Captiva and Fort Myers Beach. Timbers reopened at 703 Tarpon Bay Road.  

Rosalita’s location, about 2 miles away, gives diners another option, McGowan said. “I’ve had my eyes on real estate in Southwest Florida since 2000,” McGowan said. “The hurricane gave me an opportunity on this particular piece. The previous owners had a number of properties that were damaged by the hurricane. I inquired about it, and it just worked out.  

“We’re kind of in uncharted territory, post-hurricane, not really knowing what the demand will be. I don’t expect Sanibel will be up to full speed for two to three years, but given the opportunity, it was a good time for us to buy the center.” 

McGowan owns two other Rosalita’s Cantinas in St. Louis and brought the concept to Southwest Florida because of his affinity for Tex-Mex. He hired longtime friend Michael Miller to be a managing partner of the restaurant after he had been managing The Green Flash.  

Rosalita’s has about 45 employees, and most of them came from The Green Flash, which incurred roof damage from the storm and should reopen by the end of this year.  

Miller shifted to restaurants from his former career in the apparel industry as an executive with a clothing company that sold Van Heusen, Speedo, Tommy Hilfiger and other brands to big-box retailers.  

Now, Miller is all in on the Tex-Mex concept. Most menu entrees at Rosalita’s range from $14 to $30, and margaritas cost $16.  

“I know it’s kind of crazy to open up a restaurant right after a hurricane,” Miller said. “But again, people are without kitchens. Their houses are being rebuilt. So, you need places to get out and go eat. We just thought this was a great opportunity.”