Bonita Fish Company opens private event venue
Bonita Fish Company is taking reservations for its newly-opened event room as renovations continue at the iconic restaurant spot formerly known as Bonita Bill’s Waterfront Cafe in Fort Myers Beach.
The San Carlos Island restaurant property owned by HM Restaurant Group has unveiled Bayside at Bonita Fish Company, a private indoor-outdoor event venue off Fisherman’s Wharf.
The event space is now open immediately based on availability.
The scenic waterfront setting along Matanzas Pass overlooking the harbor and the 35-slip marina planned has been undergoing renovations since HM Restaurant purchased the property in January.
Currently available for reservations, Bayside at Bonita Fish Company provides plated dinners for 70 guests and up to 150 people for standing receptions. For the first few months, the food will be supplied by the neighboring Dixie Fish Company and Doc Ford’s Rum Bar & Grille, HM Restaurant Group partner Joe Harrity said. HM Restaurant Group owns all three acclaimed restaurants.
The restaurant is expected to fully open in September or October, Harrity said.
“We’re excited to introduce Bayside at Bonita Fish Company, a new space for private celebrations and community events,” Harrity said. “It’s a picturesque venue for a variety of occasions, from weddings and smaller charity events to company, birthday and holiday parties. We’re already accepting reservations.”
The new catering space will now be known as Bayside Private Events.
“The room looks great, and we’re excited to start planning events,” Harrity said.
Bayside at Bonita Fish Company will offer coastal-inspired fare from Bonita Fish Company.
“We’re in the process of building our menu,” Harrity said. The owners want to give the restaurant its own distinct menu that is different from the neighboring properties while also keeping part of the menu that made Bonita Bill’s Waterfront Cafe popular for so many years. Harrity said they plan on offering brunches on the weekends, as Bonita Bill’s was known for its breakfast crowd.
Harrity and HM Restaurant Group have been hard at work on the former Bonita Bill’s Waterfront Cafe since purchasing the iconic waterfront property in January along with some neighboring parcels for $5.5 million.
A brand new, shiny roof was installed, as well as new ceilings, flooring and new restrooms.
The venue is part of HM Restaurant Group’s vision of revitalizing the block between Doc Ford’s and Bayside at Bonita Fish Company into a destination for dining, entertainment, waterfront and marina access. The company has also introduced Doc Ford’s Lounge at the Fort Myers Beach restaurant, a private event space for 25 or more guests.
Bayside at Bonita Fish Company and Doc Ford’s Lounge reservations and additional information are available by contacting Private Events Manager Joe Sletten at joesletten@hmrestaurantgroup.com or 239-788-4067. Sletten said a few events have already been booked.
Bonita Fish Company will feature 300 indoor and outdoor seats, a large center bar, daily music and a menu focusing on fresh seafood. It will serve breakfast, lunch and dinner from 7 a.m. to closing. HM Restaurant Group is also building a floating dock marina, which will operate independently from the restaurant and serve boat-in customers, offer long-term rentals and accommodate boats up to 90 feet with shore power and water.
Harrity said ownership is working on permitting for the wet slips, and hopes to have them open sometime in 2025.
Originally built in 1926 as Bonita Fish House, the nearly century-old restaurant has a storied past as a gathering place for the Fort Myers Beach community. Its name and history echo Dixie Fish Company, an original fish house built in 1937 as a seafood market. Both restaurants pay homage to the heritage and history of old Florida fish houses. The restaurant’s former owner Bill Semmer, died last year – prompting the sale.
The owners had to remove four boats that had washed up on the docks of the restaurant, including on boat that had literally settled on top of the dock of the restaurant and had become a sort-of landmark with dozens of signatures. The boat had to be removed for safety reasons. Harrity said the removal of the boats was “not cheap.”
“We’re ready to roll,” Harrity said.
To reach Nathan Mayberg, please email nmayberg@breezenewspapers.com