A large, colorful mural covers the west wall of the old Uncle Julio's building at Coastland Center. It faces U.S. 41 at Golden Gate Parkway, and it won't last much longer. The Naples Design Review Board gave final approval on Aug. 26 for a redesign: the wall gets painted white and carries the name of the next tenant, Atlantic Forge Mediterranean Steakhouse, in gold letters. The agave and umbrella plants are being replaced with Italian cypress, bougainvillea and podocarpus. The ironwork near the patio is coming out.
Two other projects are under way on the same corner of the mall. Together, they move the closest restaurant cluster on the Moorings' U.S. 41 side away from themed casual chains and toward steak, seafood and patio firepits. Their opening targets run from the end of 2026 into early 2027, and none of them has a confirmed date.
The West End, Building by Building
Coastland's western edge is lined with freestanding chain restaurants on outparcels. In a spring column for Naples Press, Tim Aten traced the history. The Cheesecake Factory did well for years, and freestanding buildings followed for CMX CinéBistro, Uncle Julio's, Bahama Breeze and Twin Peaks. Two of the five closed within a single year.
| Address on Ninth St. N. | Former tenant | What's happening now | Stated timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2096 | Uncle Julio's, closed in February | Atlantic Forge Mediterranean Steakhouse, renovation approved Aug. 26 | Early 2027 |
| 2094 | Cleared outparcel in the Macy's lot | Oar & Iron Raw Bar & Grill, under construction | End of 2026, otherwise early 2027 |
| 2088 | Bahama Breeze | Vacant, no short-term plan from Darden | None announced |
| 2048 | Aurelio's Pizza plus an adjoining unit | Rodizio Grill buildout | Late 2026 or early 2027 |
The former Bahama Breeze is the one gap with no plan behind it. Darden closed 15 Bahama Breeze locations in May 2025 and is retiring the brand next spring. The south Fort Myers location will become a Yard House, but Darden had no short-term plan for the Coastland building as of late September.
The Inline Space With a History in Beef
The clearest sign of the steak trend sits inside the mall entrance near CMX CinéBistro. Rodizio Grill is building out 9,160 square feet at 2048 Ninth St. N. by joining the former Aurelio's Pizza with a vacant unit next door. Aten's spring column lists the space's earlier tenants: Pate's House of Prime Rib and Ted's Montana Grill. A Brazilian churrascaria is a natural fit for a room that has already served prime rib.
Rodizio is a Utah-based chain with more than 20 locations, six of them in Florida. It is best known for rotisserie-grilled meats on skewers that gauchos carve at the table, along with a salad bar of hot and cold sides and a full bar. Southwest Florida already has one at Coconut Point in Estero, open since April 2016. The Coastland restaurant will be significantly larger and will have no outdoor dining. The chain's own Naples page still says only "opening in 2026," with hours and pricing marked as coming soon.
Two Patios Built Around Fire
Rodizio is staying indoors. The two outparcel projects are both designing their patios around fire.
Oar & Iron's plans show 5,899 square feet inside and a 1,833-square-foot patio with a firepit under a louvered pergola. The patio sits beside the main entrance at the corner of Fleischmann Boulevard and U.S. 41. The concept began as 110 Grill, named for Route 110 in Massachusetts where the first one opened. The Florida version uses lighter nautical colors, bigger outdoor areas, a raw bar and a menu that leans harder on seafood and steak. Naples will be the fifth Oar & Iron. The first opened in late 2023 at Founders Square, at Collier Boulevard and Immokalee Road. Fort Myers, near Topgolf, and Parrish came next, and Babcock Ranch followed most recently.
At Atlantic Forge, the patio is a large part of the redesign. Jason B. Taylor of Taylor Studios Inc., a Bradenton design firm, described the plan to city staff and the board, as Naples Press reported:
"Our proposed improvements include the addition of firepit tables, freestanding firepits, some planters and a built-in gas fireplace feature on the patio."
The building's scale, footprint and site layout aren't changing. The roughly 11,500-square-foot structure keeps its shape and gets a white, gold and brown palette. The menu, atmosphere and offerings haven't been announced.
The Calendar Runs Later Than the Signs
The Oar & Iron site shows how far the dates can slip. The first sign on the outparcel said "Coming late 2025." When construction finally began, the developers were aiming for late 2026. Rob Luzzi, senior director of marketing for RAVentures Hospitality Group, which owns and operates Oar & Iron, told Naples Press that the group "would love to be open by the end of 2026, but otherwise early 2027, based on construction."
These are the targets as each project has stated them, in the order they're expected to open:
- Oar & Iron Raw Bar & Grill, 2094 Ninth St. N.: end of 2026 if construction allows, otherwise early 2027.
- Rodizio Grill, 2048 Ninth St. N.: late 2026 or early 2027, per the spring column. The chain's site says 2026.
- Atlantic Forge Mediterranean Steakhouse, 2096 Ninth St. N.: early 2027.
- Former Bahama Breeze, 2088 Ninth St. N.: no plan announced.
The first two dates come from Aten's spring reporting. His Sept. 25 column says only that both restaurants are "already in the works," with no new dates. Treat them as goals until doors actually open. If everything goes to plan, Oar & Iron could open before the holidays. Its own fallback, like Rodizio's, is early 2027, and Atlantic Forge has never targeted anything earlier.
On the Gulf Side, a Lighthouse in April
The pattern holds at Lowdermilk Park on the Gulf side. The City of Naples is replacing the playground at the park's south end with a coastal-themed one. It will have a multi-level lighthouse, large climbing elements, a new shelter and shaded swings. A $250,000 gift from the Nommensen Family helps pay for it, and the final renderings come from Playmore.
The City's recreation projects page says the project received its Notice to Proceed on July 22, 2026. The equipment has been ordered and the manufacturer is working through permitting. Completion is expected in April 2027. Both edges of the neighborhood are on about the same timetable. The playground and at least one of the Coastland outparcels are aiming for the first months of 2027, and permitting and construction schedules decide both.
The rest of Lowdermilk is operating normally. The City lists the park and its beach access as open from 5 a.m. to 11 p.m., with all vehicles out by 11. The beachside concession is Flip Flop Beach Grill. According to the City's beach parking information, Lowdermilk is a metered visitor access at $5 an hour with a $2.50 minimum. A City or County beach permit also covers parking there year-round. The City hasn't posted any seasonal change. The pages don't show update dates, so they reflect what the City is currently displaying.
What the Fencing Means Between Now and Spring
This winter, the Moorings' two nearest dining and recreation edges are both midway through their changes. On the U.S. 41 side, the lineup that's open now is Cheesecake Factory, CMX CinéBistro and Twin Peaks, sitting alongside two dark buildings and an active construction site at Fleischmann Boulevard. On the Gulf side, the beach, the concession and the parking are unchanged, and the new playground for the south end is in permitting.
The first new arrivals point in one direction. Two outparcel patios are designed around firepits, and a churrascaria is moving into the space that once held Pate's House of Prime Rib. Three new concepts are coming to the mall's busiest corner, and every one is built around steak. The one building still unaccounted for is the former Bahama Breeze at 2088 Ninth St. N., where Darden has said it has nothing planned for now.
The new places around the Moorings will open on their own schedules, from a firepit at Fleischmann and U.S. 41 to a lighthouse at Lowdermilk next spring. If you're thinking about what that means for your own address, or for a home you're considering nearby, Shannon Spalding brings design and construction experience to that conversation. Schedule a Free Consultation.
