Exclusive First Look | Sugarshack Downtown Prepares for Opening Day

SWFL’s most anticipated opening is almost here! After nearly three years in the making, Sugarshack Downtown is preparing to open its doors to the public.

From the Back Deck to Downtown: The Sugarshack Success Story

Sugarshack Sessions began in 2014 as a digital music series featuring acoustic sessions recorded in founder Eddie and his fiance Lisa’s backyard, right here in Downtown Bonita Springs. Their YouTube channel quickly gained popularity and now has over half a million subscribers. Their uniquely beautiful, but modest, deck has seen some big names, including Stephen Marley and Rebelution. The same deck has also featured tons of local and up-and-coming artists, giving them a platform to jumpstart their success.

The venue may be small, but what it lacks in size, the team makes up for with ultra-high-quality production. They record studio-quality audio at all of their sessions and give attendees the option to listen to the enhanced audio live via headphones. They also have a team of photographers, videographers, and editors who create content for their YouTube channel and social media platforms.

Over the past decade, Sugarshack has grown into a media production company and creative studio for local, emerging, and nationally-recognized bands. In 2019, they launched their independent record label Sugarshack Records. Now, the Sugarshack team is getting ready to launch their most anticipated project yet: Sugarshack Downtown.

Sugarshack Downtown: A Live Music Restaurant

Three years ago, the Sugarshack Team decided that it was time to expand. They wanted a venue that could accommodate larger crowds, since their backyard venue could only accommodate 20-30 people at a time. They teamed up with developer Moran Kennedy, and the rest is history.

The Venue

Sugarshack Downtown is nestled in the heart of Downtown Bonita Springs on Old 41 Road. It is anchored by a super-sleek black stage with wood accents and the Sugarshack logo. The paved patio can seat up to 270 people with a variety of seating options including multiple covered pergolas and a covered outdoor bar. The pergolas will allow guests to enjoy the patio no matter the weather. The Sugashack team and developer Moran Kennedy also made the tough decision to keep the beautiful century oaks that are scattered throughout the property. To them, it was a worthy hurdle to preserve the historic trees and the natural shade they provide.

They also kept the original structure that sat vacant on the property for almost 20 years. It was built in 1941 as an automotive shop and passed through a few owners over the years. After purchasing the property, the team had to lug out tons of old engines before they could begin construction. Again, it was a hurdle they were willing to take on in order to preserve a little piece of history. Since then, it has been completely renovated.

The old automotive shop is now a stunning retail shop and bar, decorated from top to bottom with faux foliage, donated guitars, and framed photos from some Sugarshack Sessions. Our favorite feature is the guitar bar. The bar top was designed to look like a gigantic fretboard leading into a curved portion of the bar that resembles the body of a guitar.

The Music

Sugarshack Downtown will typically have music from 6-9 PM, five nights a week. They will welcome local and regional acts to the stage most nights, but plan to have some bigger names take the stage once or twice a month. When national touring bands come to Sugarshack Downtown, it will be a ticketed event. They will clear out the majority of the tables and chairs to make room for up to 750 people!

The Sugarshack has always prioritized sound quality and Sugarshack Downtown will be no exception. The patio is decked out with an incredible sound system to carry the music around the entire venue. We spoke with Sugarshack Downtown partner, Dave Alpert, about this state-of-the-art sound system. “If you were going to a normal venue and you stood near the stage, It would be really loud. And as you kind of walk away, it gets quieter. That’s not what we wanted to create here. That would be like standing in front of a shower, just getting blasted in the face. Whereas this is more like a bathtub. The sonic experience here is going to be really above average. It’s really a world-class sound system.” says Dave. The sound system, designed by Dave Sharpe with Artistic Science, was created with the intention of giving guests the best sound experience, all while containing the music within the venue as much as possible.

The Menu

Early on, Sugarshack Downtown formed a restaurant partnership with an out-of-state brewery. As the project progressed, the partners mutually decided to part ways, and the team decided that they wanted to stay true to their local roots.

The unexpected shake-up worked out for the best, with Dave referring to it all as nothing short of “divine intervention.” They crossed paths with Gary Rudd, former GM of Celebration Food Truck Park and Rebecca’s, and they quickly realized that he was the perfect fit for Sugarshack Downtown.

We spoke with Gary about the new menu, which will consist of elevated bar food- but with a respectable twist. Gary and the Sugarshack team are going the extra mile with their menu by making everything from scratch and eliminating harmful ingredients from their kitchen. There will be no seed oils, fructose or preservatives in any of their food. Instead, they’re opting for healthier options like beef tallow, avocado oil and clarified butter. They plan to locally source a lot of their ingredients, already securing an egg supplier in town. All of their bread and dough will be made fresh, in-house. Gary referred to menu items like their burgers and french fries as “unhealthy food you don’t have to feel bad about.” It is a huge hurdle trying to make bar food moderately healthy and we really respect the team for doing their part to help keep our community healthy- even while indulging!

During our interview, they received news that locally-renowned Chef Gustavo Chavez would officially be joining their team. Gus is an incredible Executive Chef who has worked for Bice and more recently, Three60 Market. He is an exciting addition to the already impressive Sugarshack team.

The Opening

The moment we have all been waiting for is almost here. The patio, retail shop, and bars are nearly complete. The team is just awaiting kitchen and bar equipment which will be delivered this upcoming week. They also need to fill a few more positions before opening. If you are interested in joining the team, fill out the form on their website and someone will reach out to you!

The Story Wall at Sugarshack Downtown’s indoor bar – Celebrating 11 Years of Sugarshack

Sugarshack Downtown currently has a tentative opening date of January 28th, if everything goes according to plan. An official opening date will be announced soon, and we will be sure to keep you up-to-date with new details. To stay up to date on this exciting development and other note-worthy stories across SWFL, subscribe to our newsletter!