Several new businesses with Mediterranean flair are opening in Estero’s Coconut Point region.
Other newbies include a breakfast spot, a ghost kitchen, a cigar bar and a Nordstrom Rack.
A large mixed-use development called Woodfield Estero is also under construction across from Coconut Point.
As we kick off autumn with high temperatures predicted today a digit “cooler” than the weekend’s 92 degree forecast, the “firsts” keep piling up for Southwest Florida’s Coconut Point region in Estero, and quite a bit with Mediterranean flair.
Debuts are just around the corner that we’re about to share – and we’re the first to nail down the launch date for the Cooper’s Hawk Winery & Restaurant spinoff we previously revealed to many of you would be coming.
Here’s what to know.
Launch date set for Cooper’s Hawk spinoff in Estero, Florida
With all the buzz we’ve received surrounding Cooper’s Hawk, we’ll start there on when it plans to unlock the Estero doors of its Piccolo Buco in the Marketplace at Coconut Point at Via Villagio and U.S. 41, just north of the main mall. That’s on track to be only its fourth in America and initial spot in Southwest Florida, ahead of plans for more than 100 national locations eventually.
While Chicago-based Cooper’s reps were mum on a lot of it, they did share first with In the Know that April is the targeted date. A search for a general manager began last month, and that follows the same method of operation used when it unveiled the Fort Myers Cooper’s Hawk in 2023, hiring its GM eight months prior, according to LinkedIn data.
Where is the next Piccolo Buco by Cooper’s Hawk debuting?
Based on construction schedules, Estero, which is rounding out its Coconut Point affiliated plaza where Miller’s Ale House just arrived, would be fourth and Windy City suburb Schaumburg fifth if the timeline holds. The first two were in the latter’s vicinity.
Tampa is next at No. 3 in October, the Cooper’s crew told me. Unrelated to Piccolo Buco, they had no information to add on what we broke this month about Cape Coral getting its own coveted Cooper’s Hawk entry, but readers shared with us that after reading our column, they are definitely fired up, glass of red wine in hand held high.
What’s Piccolo Buco by Cooper’s Hawk, which is coming to SWFL?
It’s a contemporary Neapolitan style inspired by a Roman pizzeria that In the Know found is about 300 feet from the revered Trevi Fountain popularized by Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck in one of my all-time favorites, Roman Holiday.
Cooper’s Hawk founder Tim McEnery fell in love with its “charm” on a trip to Italy, and he’s now collaborating with Chef Luca Issa, whose family has run the original Piccolo Buco with century-old machinery once used to bake chestnuts and pastries.
What first for Coconut Point will have early morning Estero start?
While that evolves nearby, mall folks told In the Know last week they’re rolling out their first full-service breakfast digs in October and more Mediterranean vibes.
Alba Breakfast & Brunch will turn the lights on daily at 7:30 a.m., hustling until 3 p.m. and featuring breakfast classics inspired by Mediterranean and European traditions. Signature menu items include: French Toast Crème Brûlée, Lobster Eggs Benedict, Shakshuka, Crepes, and sweet, nutty Baklava.
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Then in November, Casa Blu follows there with its first to market Mediterranean eatery that blends Bolivian roots with fresh cuisine flamed by two Neapolitan wood-fired ovens.
And it’s not just sitdown fare that has manifested itself, as we creep closer to Halloween.
Just in time for Halloween, a ghost kitchen that is ‘scary good’
Obsessed with burgers, chef Tyler Edwards and owner Franco Russo of Fresh Catch Inland are trying a first, having opened a ghost kitchen based out of their Coconut Point destination. My food writing colleague Robyn George said it’s scary good.
Their creation: FAM Burgers — a small menu of carefully crafted and creative sandwiches available only for pickup (at Fresh Catch, 7991 Plaza Del Lago Drive) or in a limited delivery area through Uber Eats.
What is the future of burger spinoff business for Fresh Catch Inland?
“Even though it’s just on Uber Eats, if there’s a buzz and people want more, what’s to stop us from putting it somewhere?” Russo said, with at least some of those items for now likely coming to their Fresh Catch fall menu.
Burgers on the takeout/delivery menu are highlighted by That’s My Jam Burger — two smashed patties with Edwards’ house-made Boursin cheese and bacon jam, arugula, red onion and house dill pickles protruding from a Martin’s potato roll. Others include prime rib and a Night-Time Chicken Sando, which features a 24-hour marinated then deep-fried crispy chicken thigh, cilantro and chili slaw made when the sandwich is ordered, and topped with locally sourced hot honey, FAM spice mix and pickled jalapenos.
What business smoked its way out off Bonita Beach Road to Estero?
But it’s not just new dishes being served out at Coconut.
Other variety is on the way to join the recently lit Bonita Smoke Shop & Cigar Bar we first told you in January was making plans to move from its Bonita Beach Road perch, and the seasonal return of Spirit Halloween.
When is latest Nordstrom Rack scheduled to open in SW Florida?
Seattle gave us Jimi Hendrix, Ray Charles, Pearl Jam, Quincy Jones and Heart, and it’s now delivering to Coconut Point that Seattle-based fashion retailer Nordstrom Rack.
Officially opening Oct. 2, the Rack is the off-price retail division of the upscale Nordstrom, which closed its doors in Naples at the Waterside Shops site that we first reported last year will become home of RH, commonly known as Restoration Hardware.
What kind of expansion is Nordstrom Rack seeing in Florida?
While its signature Nordstrom remains stagnant, its Rack will come close to 300 total after adding 23 last year and at least 15 more through Spring 2026, according to an earnings report. Florida will have more than 20 when it’s all said and done, usually in the range of 25,000 square feet or so.
And another Coconut Point arrival is ZAGG, opening this month, that touts itself as a one-stop shop for tech protection and repair, ZAGG offers accessories from brands like InvisibleShield, mophie and Gear4 to protect mobile devices. And they repair phones, iPads, drones, and more.
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What blossoming chain will spin into Coconut Point in 2026?
Early 2026 is on target at Coconut Point for Southwest Florida’s first JETSET Pilates, which has more than 20 across the state and another dozen coast to coast in the Lower 48. It plans to bring its high-intensity, low-impact full-body workout to the center. With DJ-curated playlists, a 50-minute class offers some of that mind-body connection to help achieve fitness goals.
And music is at its core, says Miami-based founder Tamara Galinsky, who was inspired after initially struggling to get back in shape after her first child.
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“Music speaks to my soul,” Galinsky said. “I have studied it all my life. I believe that the right music inspires and energizes you both mentally and physically. When combining choreography with the right music, your body goes into a meditative state while you focus on yourself. I bring this energy to my Pilates studios by incorporating a graceful sequence of movements with a curated playlist into every class.”
I perused her JETSET Spotify playlists and found an eclectic mix including beachy Sweden-based Dr. Alban’s “Sing Hallelujah”, a major 1993 hit in Europe, Roxy Music’s “More than This” from 1982, Doja Cat’s newly released “Jealous Type”, Elton John’s “Rocket Man” and 1979’s “The Logical Song” by Supertramp.
What is rising across the street from Coconut Point in Estero?
And across from Coconut, the groundwork has begun on the 45 acres of Woodfield Estero, which has been compared to the Naples Mercato. Built in phases, it is scheduled to feature 82,000 square feet of retail and dining; 200,000 square feet of hotel space with 260 rooms; 538 multi-family units, 58 townhomes; 20,000 square feet of medical space; 22,000 square feet of office space; 3,000 square feet of civic space; and four parking garages.
“Some of us call it like a little mini-Mercato because it’s got vertical mixed use and some shopping and entertainment areas and parks and apartments,” said Mary Gibbs, Estero director of community development.