Nemo’s moves into old Barking Shark building
It’s been almost one year to the day that the Barking Shark held a closing auction that cleaned out all of the beach front restaurant’s possessions. It wasn’t long afterwards that a new sports bar was to take its place at the 1154 Estero Blvd. location.
Time’s changed, a recession grew longer and foreclosures multiplied. Not an ideal setting for opening a new business. Even Bill Keith, the principal figure behind the Barking Shark, is no longer involved in the business or investing end of any of the operations.
Forward one year later, Nemo’s on the Beach: A Sports Cafe is making a run of it. The sports bar, which takes part of its name from the eatery in one of the principal owner’s chain of six bowling centers in Southwest Florida, opened its doors officially this past Monday, Dec. 7. On Friday, Dec. 4, the cafe held a soft Grand Opening with a limited menu, nonalcoholic beverages, beer and wine, then continued on Saturday and Sunday with an expanded menu. A private party for nearly 200 guests was held on Sunday, Nov. 29. The 184-seat establishment is expected to be open seven days a week from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Nemo’s phone number is 233-8224.
General Manager Tom Carr and Assistant General Manager Kevin Pawlowski will be the management team running the business. Besides food, Nemo’s on the Beach will provide light entertainment on a mostly weekend basis.
“We’re going to have a full menu encompassing seafood, steaks and you name it,” said Carr. “From our research, this will be one of the newest, nicest affordable places with some of the lower prices down here.”
Keith’s former Estero Beach Holdings, LLC business partners Patrick Ciniello, a restauranteur with more than 30 years experience and the owner of the bowling centers, and Jim Forrester, a certified public accountant, have taken over the business ownership of the year-long vacant building.
“Our menu will be a little more advanced than we have in our bowling centers with more fresh fish cooked in a new kitchen,” said Ciniello. “And, we have a great view.”
Ciniello is optimistic that the new business will do fine even during recessional times.
“It’s difficult, but we’re hoping that the recession will start fading away.” he said. “I think Fort Myers Beach is thirsting for some new types of entertainment and establishment.”
Ciniello said the establishment’s name came from his bowling center’s cafes. They began as Nemo’s Nautical Lounges (when he first opened) to Nemo’s Hard Rock Cafes (until the well-established Hard Rock Cafe interjected) to Nemo’s Sports Cafe.
Meanwhile, Keith has not been seen walking the streets of Fort Myers Beach as he usually did when the Barking Shark was in business.
“Bill was a partner in Estero Beach Holdings and was the operator of the Barking Shark,” said Ciniello. “We closed the Barking Shark last December, and we bought out Bill’s interest around July of this year. Bill is no longer an investor or has any interest in any Estero Beach Holdings. It took us through June to get through that legal entanglement.”