Frank and Lizzie Paladino are charting a course for another port of call for Yacht Club Subs in Old Naples.
The new artisan sandwich shop under construction on Fourth Avenue South will more than double the size of the small unit where they launched their local business in March 2021 at 1200 Central Ave. The couple plans to keep open the original spot, which fronts 12th Street North between the District and The Alley hospitality venues.
The second location is less than a nautical mile away from the first on the other side of U.S. 41 in Naples. Its 825 square feet affords the business a larger galley and more cabin space.
“Things have just kind of blossomed into something more than we could ever have imagined out of 350 square feet,” Frank Paladino said.
Yacht Club Subs’ new berth is in a multitenant commercial building at 847 Fourth Ave. S. The sub shop will be docking between PJK Neighborhood Chinese restaurant and Divine Naples coffee shop in a small unit that has been home to a visitors’ center, marketing firm’s office and a wall art showroom over the years.
“I’m going to try to create somewhat of a commissary effect and to relieve some of the burden from this space into some of the other space on Fourth Avenue because we’re so close. We’re really excited about that new spot,” Paladino said. “The reason why the second location is going to be so easy for us to do is because it’s basically ditto what we’re doing here. We’re really not changing anything at all.”
A couple of the most popular hot subs include The Commodore with thinly sliced top round, Swiss cheese, sautéed mushrooms, onions and smoked bacon finished with house-made bacon aioli coulis and a touch of horseradish sauce; and The Pilgrim, a Thanksgiving sub with warmed turkey breast, fresh cranberry mayo medley, house-made stuffing and coleslaw.
The made-to-order sandwiches come in a variety of vessels: the 16-inch Torpedo, the 9-inch Submarine, the 6-inch Yacht, the 3-inch Minnow, as well as on croissants. Salads, or Hulls, and gluten-free wraps also are available.
The Torpedo size is one big boat of a sandwich,” Lizzie Paladino said. “It’s very fun and has great presentation for a party,” she said. “There are two other big catering options: The Party Boat and The Deck Party.”
Yacht Club Subs’ new larger location will provide more space for catering, prepping, refrigeration, storage and seating. It also may allow them to open for breakfast eventually. “Not fancy — you know, wraps, coffee, that kind of thing — and stay open a little later because a lot of people I feel in that area want to go see the sunset, get some suds, get some wine and off you go,” she said.
When he was in his 20s, Frank Paladino had a gourmet food and cheese shop that morphed into a bistro in his hometown of Madison, Connecticut. “That was kind of like my first foray into food,” he said, noting that Yacht Club Subs’ maritime theme stems from that coastal town on Long Island Sound, while its name comes from Yacht Club Soda, the official soda of Rhode Island and a throwback to Paladino’s youth.
“We carry their soda here,” he said. “Actually, we have the distribution rights for Florida.”
Over the years, Paladino found himself gravitating toward the restaurant business. Familiar with the Naples area because his father came here in 1992, Paladino helped manage local BurgerFi franchises when he and Liz moved here seven or eight years ago.
“I said to Liz, if I get the opportunity, if I can find some space, I know that there’s an appetite out there for a hometown sub shop,” he said. “I just knew that we could put a product out that people would like. I wanted to be as close to Fifth Avenue as I could.”
Before the pandemic, their original space had been part of The Wine Store, within walking distance of the new Gulfshore Playhouse. They signed the lease with building owner Christopher Shucart in July 2020 but didn’t open the business until March 2021.
“Things were going pretty well, but then we got wiped out with [Hurricane] Ian. We lost everything,” he said.
They rebounded with all hands on deck, of course, and reopened.
“Since then, it’s been more than I could ever imagine. So, we’re really happy,” he said.
Now, the Paladinos hope to nurture a lunch and delivery business and fill a need for locals and visitors with their new location downtown. “We just thought it was really a natural progression with that space,” he said.
The city is reviewing their plans for the new Yacht Clubs Subs Offshore, which is targeted to launch by the end of the year. “We’re hoping for some time in November, if not the first of December,” he said.
By popular demand, the couple at the helm of Yacht Club Subs eventually may charter franchises.
“We’re shooting to franchise because we have had a lot of people who have offered,” said Liz Paladino, noting that they are trademarking the name and taking the proper steps to grow the brand.
This story was published in The Naples Press on Oct. 18.
