Part One of this three-part series explored how Downtown Bonita Springs got here, Part Two is about what’s happening now, and why it’s happening all at once.
This month, Sugarshack Downtown celebrates its first birthday. In just one year, the live-music-driven restaurant has become a defining part of downtown’s rhythm, helping transform Old 41 from a pass-through corridor into a place people intentionally gather.
What started as an idea and a leap of faith is now one of the most talked-about hospitality success stories in Southwest Florida.
Built on land surrounded by city parks and the City’s bandshell, purchased for the project by Kyle Moran and his partners, Sugarshack Downtown came to life after Kyle approached the Sugarshack Sessions crew with a vision: take their unmistakable brand of live music, community, and laid-back energy, and plant it right in the heart of Bonita Springs. The result was a collaborative effort between the Sugarshack team and a carefully assembled local crew.
The project exceeded expectations almost immediately. Today, Sugarshack Downtown ranks among the top 150 independent revenue-producing restaurants in the country, a remarkable milestone for a pioneering concept that didn’t exist just a year ago.
But Sugarshack’s success isn’t just about music or food. It’s about location, teamwork and timing. Plus a community that had been waiting for something exactly like this.
The Opportunity Beneath the Surface
Bri: In Part One, we talked about how Downtown Bonita Springs had all the right “bones,” but what really stood out to me this time around is how much demand was sitting here quietly for years. Can you explain that a bit more?
Kyle: Absolutely. When you dig into the data, it becomes very clear very quickly. Bonita Springs has about 22% more six-figure households than Sarasota – yet only about 26% of the restaurants. That gap is enormous.
And when you add Estero into the picture, since people from both communities regularly drive past Downtown Bonita to dine in Naples, the imbalance becomes even more striking.
Compared to Sarasota, Bonita and Estero together have more than twice the number of six-figure households, but only about a third of the full-service restaurants. That means the ratio of affluent households to restaurants is six or seven times higher here than in places like Sarasota. In simple terms, we desperately needed more full-service restaurants here.
Bri: Wow. That’s is an enormous gap and I am shocked to know that we have more six-figure households here than a nationally known city.
Kyle: Exactly. For years, people moved here for a lifestyle that didn’t fully exist yet. They bought homes, raised families, built careers – but when it was time to go out for dinner, hear live music, meet friends, or celebrate something, they got in their cars and drove south to Naples.
It is also important to know that Naples is getting further away from Bonita. Not in miles, which are fixed, but in minutes – and minutes is all that matters. What used to be a twenty-minute drive twenty years ago is now a 45-minute drive, and that’s not changing anytime soon. It’s more important than ever to build great destinations here in Bonita.
From Drive-Through to Destination
Bri: It’s true. John and I have been pushing the potential of Bonita Springs for years. Some buyers believed in it as we did, but others missed an incredible opportunity because they could not see the vision. That commute has been the norm for as long as I can remember.
Kyle: It really has. Historically, people from South Fort Myers, Estero, and Bonita Springs lived here but worked and played in Naples. That wasn’t because Bonita lacked culture or community – it lacked the infrastructure and critical mass of restaurants, venues, and gathering places that keep people local.
Bri: And that’s where downtown comes in. It’s like an incredible net to catch all those people who have only just “passed through” Bonita Springs.
Kyle: Exactly. Downtown Bonita Springs is centrally located, walkable, and already has so much going for it – but it needed projects that gave people a reason to stop, park, and stay awhile. The goal was never just to open another restaurant. It was to help turn downtown into a destination instead of somewhere you drive through on the way to the beach or work.
Bri: Sugarshack really did that – and incredibly quickly. It’s like there was a little fire starting in Downtown and Sugarshack dumped gasoline on it!
Kyle: It did, and that’s because it tapped directly into what the community needed. A place with live music nine times a week. A place that feels welcoming, unpretentious, and social. A place with great food and no seed oils. A venue where local musicians have a real stage and people of all ages feel comfortable gathering.When you align that with the level of demand already here, momentum builds fast.
The Ripple Effect
Bri: What I’ve noticed is that Sugarshack didn’t just succeed on its own – it lifted the entire area.
Kyle: That was always the hope. Great downtown projects don’t exist in isolation. They create energy that spills outward. Foot traffic supports neighboring businesses. Events bring in first-time visitors who discover everything else Downtown has to offer. That’s how real momentum starts.
Bri: I hear it constantly, at Sugarshack, on the Halloween Trolley, people saying, “I need to come to Bonita more,” or “I had no idea all this was here.”
And now Sugarshack is celebrating its first birthday – which feels symbolic for Downtown as a whole.
Kyle: It really does. One year in, and it’s already proven what’s possible here – not just financially, but culturally. It shows that Bonita Springs can sustain vibrant hospitality and entertainment right here at home.
Bri: And that shift isn’t just about where people spend their evenings – it’s about where they work.
Kyle: Absolutely. Sugarshack Downtown has created more than 150 local jobs, many with benefits like health insurance and 401(k) plans — these benefits are rare in hospitality.
Bri: That’s huge. Not only in the number of jobs created, but also in the quality. We have friends who work at Sugarshack Downtown, and they love to brag about their take-home pay.
Kyle: *Laughs* Yeah, we had employees who were nervous about leaving high-end restaurants in Naples, but proudly assured us they are making just as much and sometimes more than they were. One of the things I’m proudest of, though, is that about 30% of our employees can walk to work. Less traffic. Less money on gas. More time with family. That improves quality of life — and strengthens the bond between Downtown workers and the community they serve every day.
During our interview, Chad, a head bartender, popped into the green room and spoke candidly about his experience at Sugarshack Downtown so far and how much he loves working there. He mentioned, ” We have a new bartender training right now, and she just told me, ‘You guys make it so much fun to work here, ‘ and it really is. We have a great team, and we all support each other.”
Bri: It really feels full-circle for our little Downtown.
Kyle: It is. For decades, Bonitians did business with one another in Naples because that’s where the restaurants and jobs were. Projects like Sugarshack help reverse that pattern. Bonitians can now do business with one another — right here Downtown. That’s how communities get stronger.
The Shack that Took a Village
Bri: Listening to all of this, it’s clear Sugarshack didn’t happen in a vacuum. A project like this takes an army.
Kyle: It absolutely does – and I’m glad you said that, because this story is really about a great team.
First, the City of Bonita Springs deserves enormous credit. City leadership laid the groundwork that made projects like this possible – from infrastructure investments to thoughtful planning. They created the conditions for Downtown to finally take off.
We are deeply grateful to the visionaries behind businesses like Downtown Coffee & Wine, Rooftop at Riverside, For Heaven’s Shakes, Chartreuse, Bohemian, Ceremony Brewing, Canary Club, Wonder Gardens, Waffle Monkey, Wolfmoon, and others who – alongside the Bonita Springs Downtown Alliance – were already drawing people to this area and laying the groundwork for Downtown’s resurgence.
Then there’s my partners and our build team – led by our building contractor, Rick Kennedy – who figured out how to construct a one-of-a-kind restaurant and live-music venue while protecting beautiful heritage trees and transforming an abandoned 80-year-old transmission shop into a centerpiece of the property. That was not easy.
We also owe huge thanks to The Sugarshack team – especially Eddie Kopp and his partners – for trusting this vision and bringing their infectious culture and tradition of great music to the heart of Downtown Bonita Springs.
And on the operating side, the day-to-day, hour-by-hour leaders have been incredible. Gary Rudd, Craig Clarke, Chef Gus Chavez, Gordy Henke, and Kathleen Lewis took our creation and turned it into a powerhouse. They executed at the very highest level. Assembled their fantastic team of managers, servers, bartenders, hostesses, etc. They adapted quickly. They pushed for constant improvement. Their efforts created great experiences for guests and for the team behind the scenes. Not to mention creating tons of magical, memorable moments for the community
I honestly can’t be more grateful for the exceptionally talented group of people who made this all a reality.
What Comes Next
Bri: Sugarshack feels like a turning point – but also the opening chapter of something bigger.
Kyle: It really is just the beginning. Sugarshack helped change perceptions. Now we’re building on that momentum. Projects like Telephone, which will bring two new restaurants next to Downtown Coffee and Wine, are part of that next wave — thoughtful, intentional additions that keep shaping Downtown into a destination people drive to, not past.
Bri: Some residents worry about Bonita losing its charm as it grows. What do you say to that?
Kyle: I completely understand that concern – and it comes from love for this place. The goal has never been to turn Bonita into Naples or anywhere else. What makes Bonita special is its authenticity, its history, and its sense of community. We can grow in charming ways. That’s central to everything we try to do – thoughtful design, human-scale projects, and keeping Downtown focused on Community, Culture, and Commerce.
If we do that right, Bonita doesn’t lose its identity – it deepens and strengthens it. Since moving here in the early 1990s, I’ve proudly told people I’m from Bonita Springs. Today, I’m prouder than ever of that connection, and honored to see our City increasingly recognized as a true destination – not just a dot on the map between Fort Myers and Naples.
Bri: I completely agree. It feels like we’re still early in the story.
Kyle: We really are. The opportunities Downtown are only just coming into focus.
Bri: Which brings us perfectly to what’s next.
Kyle: Exactly.
Bri: In Part Three, we’ll look ahead – including your brand-new project that hasn’t been announced yet. A concept that could be one of the most exciting developments Downtown has seen so far.
Kyle: I think it might surprise people.
Bri: It definitely will. Next up: the future of Downtown Bonita Springs – and a first look at Kyle’s latest project bringing even more entertainment Downtown… Project Roundabout.
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