On the Bay opens today
On the Bay opens its doors today on Fort Myers Beach as part of a soft reopening for the restaurant formerly known as Matanzas on the Bay, that begins at noon through 8 p.m. That will be followed by another soft opening on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Reservations are required.
The restaurant will then close before holding a grand reopening on Friday, Oct. 3. The restaurant was long known as Matanzas on the Bay, one of the iconic waterfront restaurants on Fort Myers Beach.
News that Matanzas on the Bay was reopening this week as the rebranded “On the Bay” shook the Fort Myers Beach Observer and Beach Bulletin Facebook page just 11 days after the restaurant announced initial plans to reopen in early October.
The comments, more than 200 of them, came pouring in on the Observer’s Facebook page to the announcement from the new owners that a soft opening will be held this Friday. When doors open for business, it will be the first time at the iconic restaurant since before Hurricane Ian in 2023.
“I can taste the grouper sandwich all the way up here in Illinois,” Faith Lindley said on Facebook.
Memories of a first date at Matanzas on the Bay more than 30 years ago were shared.
Best key lime pie ever, best snapper, best shrimp salad, readers said.
Reservations will be required, said On the Bay Manager DJ Weir.
“We’re excited to be moving forward delivering a family-friendly environment,” Weir said. “Everybody is pumped.”
Weir and chef Jose Rivera said the restaurant wants to start with a soft opening to get staff acclimated before season starts.
The restaurant took in a lot of flooding from Hurricane Ian but its former owners were looking forward to opening in 2023 before they decided to sell the property. Petey’s Upper Deck, which is the upstairs restaurant and bar, has continued to operate since 2023 and through the change in ownership.
Plans to reopen the main restaurant were slowed last year by Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton, Weir said.
The flooring was redone and the inside of the restaurant has undergone a makeover. Outside on the deck, yellow shade umbrellas have been replaced by tables with blue and white umbrellas. The same serene view of Matanzas Bay can be seen from each point on the deck. From inside, diners can also peer out onto the bay.
Weir said the kitchen has undergone a complete revamping to allow for equipment to be pulled out onto a truck at a moment’s notice if another major hurricane were on the way.
The opening of Matanzas on the Bay will include many familiar favorites from the grouper sandwich to the shrimp salad, shrimp burger, pastas and its popular bay bread.
Ribeye steaks and crunchy grouper breaded with corn are among the staples, as is the clam chowder served with shrimp. Shrimp and scallop ceviche also stays on the menu.
There is the queso dip, as well as the crab, shrimp and scallop dip.
Rivera, who previously worked at Naples Grand Golf Club, said the opening of On the Bay will offer “a little more upscale dining” than Petey’s Upper Deck though it will also include those menu options as well – highlighted by Petey’s Upper Deck’s popular pizza.
There will also be some updates to the menu. The bay bread is served with bleu cheese, cheddar cheese and mozzarellas, lump crab, artichoke, onions, tomato and scallops.
There are new stuffed pasta shells with ricotta cheese, topped with lobster, crab, shrimp and spinach.
Rivera said there is also the rum-dip coconut shrimp which is made from scratch.
To wash it all down will be a host of wines as well as house drinks.
The house wine is The Beach House “Sauvignon Blue,” which is the featured white wine. Wines will also be paired with entrees, Rivera said.
“We’re excited to be a part of rebuilding and recovering the beach, bringing that culture back and being able to serve the community,” Rivera said.
To make a reservation at On the Bay, call 239-463-3838.