Matanzas Inn birthday celebration is next week
For the past 12 months, Matanzas Inn Restaurant has been celebrating their 25th anniversary with weekly $25 gift certificate giveaways. On Saturday, Oct. 17, hundreds of entrants will eagerly wait to see if their name is called as the Grand Prize winner of a dinner for 25 guests at the Fort Myers Beach dining institution.
From noon to 5 p.m. that Saturday, Matanzas is culminating their year-long celebration with a birthday party including live entertainment featuring eight different musical artists, a $6.95 party buffet on the Upper Deck, a fishing contest for kids 12 and under, a bounce house, corn hole games, a 50/50 raffle benefiting a local charity as well as all day free raffles, free Jell-O shots on the 25th of each hour and more. The Matanzas Inn pool will also be open to all guests.
At the close of the event, Matanzas General Manager Chris Arnberg will draw the lucky grand-prize winner of a dinner for 25 guests who will enjoy a special chef’s selected menu including appetizers, entrees and desserts. The winning name will be pulled from hundreds of raffle entries that have been collected over the past year from Matanzas Inn dining patrons.
“It has been a wonderful birthday year and we are very excited for this party and the big drawing,” said Doug Speirn-Smith, one of the owners of Matanzas Inn. “What better way to celebrate our longevity and the successful efforts of our staff than to share our 25 years with our patrons, friends and beach neighbors.”
The Matanzas Inn and Restaurant is located on the scenic back bay of Estero Island and has prided itself in serving fresh local seafood, steaks and more to beachgoers and boaters wanting a special experience since 1984.
The Matanzas Inn Resort site was originally home to the Island’s first grocery and service station built in the early 1920s. In the 1960s the Matanzas Inn motel was built as the Anchor Inn. The restaurant was first opened in 1982 and in 1984 was bought and renamed the Matanzas Inn shortly thereafter.
Facing the fishing fleet and moored boats within an easy walk to the Gulf of Mexico, Matanzas Inn features a casual waterfront setting serving fresh local seafood, steaks and more.
“We are so happy to celebrate 25 years with our staff and customers,” said Linda Glover, day manager who has worked at Matanzas Inn for the past 19 years. “We are on a first name basis with many of our customers and see a lot of the same seasonal residents and visitors every year. Our motto is, if it isn’t right, we’ll fix it.”
submitted by Melinda Isley