Salt & Poppy boutique owners Kevin Farley and Michelle Wendt. PROVIDED

In an endeavor to become a part of the Pine Island community, stand-up comedian Kevin Farley and wife, director and Emmy Award-winning writer Michelle Wendt, opened a specialty store, Salt & Poppy, in Bokeelia Thursday.

The couple met in New York, Wendt said, while she was directing a musical she wrote, in which Farley was cast. After closing the chapter on a global pandemic and a ghastly hurricane, Farley and Wendt are now putting down roots as islanders, and opening a new chapter as retail store owners.

Salt & Poppy is not a place you just run through, said Wendt, as she is hoping people find joy in the unique quality of the store where you can find everything from pet supplies to genuine Kevin Farley merchandise. 

“There’s a convenience in having a store that’s a unique boutique–a little bit of everything. It’s not a hardware store, it’s not a general store. Salt & Poppy is a place where you can get something for your kids, your dogs and maybe even some candy,” Wendt said. 

Years of spending time as kids with their parents vacationing in Sanibel and Captiva brought the couple down south as adults, where they decided on Pine Island shortly after Covid.  

The front of the Salt & Poppy boutique. PAULETTE LeBLANC

 “Once I found Pine Island, I thought this is the coolest place — it felt the most like us — artsy, bohemian, different — unique,” Wendt said. 

Calling Pine Island home now reminds them both of vacations from their time as youths in south Florida, and the two are very excited about their choice to be part of the tight-knit Pine Island community, as Farley admits he loves Pine Island. 

“Most of my time is spent on the road doing stand-up, so this will be a chance for me to do something new — to set roots and be a part of Pine Island. When I do come off the road, the island is a quiet place to relax. For me this place offers me a chance to decompress. I’m interested in making the store a place that people can enjoy. I just want people to come to the store for unique kinds of gifts — things you won’t find anywhere else,” Farley said. 

Family plays an important role in the lives of these Alden Pines residents, as Farley, who is the brother of the late actor Chris Farley, also enjoys time with Wendt’s son Leo, who is currently a busboy at Tarpon Lodge and a varsity football player at Bishop Verot Catholic High School in Fort Myers. Wendt said Leo really enjoys being at home more than anything and insists the family is adapting to life on the island as they are becoming a clan who never wants to leave the island unless it’s absolutely necessary. 

“We used to find ourselves leaving Pine Island for every little thing and now we’re wondering, what do we need to do, to never leave the island? So that has changed for both of us,” Wendt said. 

A sample of some of the items you will find in the new store. PAULETTE LeBLANC

Salt & Poppy is at 10502 Stringfellow Road, #5501, Bokeelia. For additional information about the boutique, call 310-567-4546. 

A sample of some of the items you will find in the new store. PAULETTE LeBLANC