Cape restaurateurs expanding to Lehigh
Couple to open their second Culver’s in the community in which they got their start
Sometimes returning home is meant to be.
For a Southwest Florida husband-and-wife business-owning duo, going back to their roots is coming to fruition soon.
Miguel and Samantha Carmona are owner-operators of Culver’s on northeast Pine Island Road in Cape Coral. Before operating the Cape Coral location, they got their start at Culver’s in Lehigh Acres.
Now, they will be part of opening Lehigh’s newest Culver’s, with early estimates seeing the burger chain arriving in the fall as the location (the Stonewood retail project, a 36-acre development on the eastern edge of Lehigh Acres, near the Fort Myers-Lehigh Acres line) has already broken ground. The new Lehigh location will be state-of-the-art, with digital signage and the most up-to-date offerings Culver’s has.
“It’s kind of like a homecoming for me,” Miguel said. “We’ve been in Lehigh for a really long time, and my restaurant in Cape Coral has been open for about two years now. I’m excited to go back to the Lehigh community and once again serve those people there.”
Both Miguel and Samantha have deep ties to Lehigh. The pair helped open and operate the original Culver’s in Lehigh Acres from its opening in 2016 through 2021 before becoming owner-operators. The Carmonas moved into their first home at a young age in Lehigh, only a short distance from where the new restaurant is being built. All four of their children came home from Healthpark Hospital to their home in Lehigh. Their two oldest children attended Lehigh Elementary, and their eldest even attended Lehigh Middle School before they made the move closer to their restaurant in Cape Coral.
Miguel, who moved to Southwest Florida in his teens and attended Island Coast High School, said he helped hire and train the team at the original Culver’s in Lehigh, and was eventually promoted to general manager.
He said his work during the pandemic especially, where the restaurant continued to perform well despite constraints thanks to his innovative tactics, led him down the path of becoming an owner.
“My partner asked if I had ever thought about owning my own Culver’s, and I told him I would love to. So, I jumped on the process that it takes,” Miguel said, adding he completed the company’s franchisee program in 2020.
It took some time with the pandemic and hurricanes, but he and Samantha eventually opened the Culver’s on Pine Island Road in 2024.
Miguel said he was approached by the company to expand, and when Lehigh was named as a possibility, he jumped at the chance.
“During our years working in Lehigh, we were fortunate to build strong relationships with local schools, organizations, and community members, and we’re incredibly excited for the opportunity to reconnect and continue those relationships through this new location,” he said.
Over the years at his Cape Coral location, Miguel said he’s had numerous guests from Lehigh stop in and ask when he and his wife would be returning to their community. He said hearing that consistently over the past two years, combined with the incredible growth Lehigh has experienced in recent years, made the opportunity feel even more special.
“We felt this was the right time to help bring another place to the community where families can sit down together and enjoy a fresh meal in a welcoming environment,” Miguel said.
Miguel said once the new restaurant is built, he will work there to get the establishment running smoothly, and then spend his time between Lehigh and the existing Cape Coral location.
As for what he’s learned most from all of his time in the industry, Miguel said it’s the sense of community.
“When I was the general manager in Lehigh, I would do anything I could for the community,” he said. “I worked very closely with several of the elementary schools. We did sponsorships for them and things like T-ball, Pop Warner — anything I could do.
“It was never a ‘no,’ it was always a ‘yes’ when a school would call and ask for assistance.”
The Carmonas have made numerous donations and hosted many kids’ nights and special evenings at Culver’s — both in Lehigh and Cape Coral.
In the Cape, Miguel and Samantha donate free custard to elementary schools for reward parties for students, participate in community events as a vendor, give away coupons and merchandise, and are active in the chamber of commerce.
Miguel said he’s also a major contributor to his alma mater in Island Coast, helping the athletic departments, which is near and dear to his heart as a former athlete.
“I know how important it is to have up-to-standard uniforms, and a scoreboard — things like that,” he said. “I work really close with Island Coast and even North Fort Myers High School and assist with sports from football to volleyball to soccer and more. I do whatever I can for them.”
He’s also hired a lot of students who go to those high schools to provide them with a job.
“I have a ton of staff that are currently attending these high schools, or are getting ready to graduate this year,” Miguel said.
He and Samantha are ready to get back to their roots and expand the impact they make once again. He has fond memories of his wife running the counter while he was running the kitchen.
Greeting and interacting with regulars is also a bonus of the job, with Miguel recalling how happy he made 90-year-old customer Bonnie feel on her birthday.
“She was in tears because of how thankful she was to be celebrated,” he said. “Those things stand out to me the most. She and her daughter would come in all the time and we would talk and we got to know them well. We all became a family. Familiar faces become more than customers.”
Returning to Lehigh is a way for the couple to say “thank you” to the community that elevated them.
“A lot of our success is because of the people of Lehigh,” Miguel said. “Everything I’ve been able to achieve was because of the support from the Lehigh community. It all paved the way for me to get where I am today. And the community needs it. They need another place where they can sit down with their families and enjoy a meal. The Lehigh community is so family-oriented. Our message to the community is that we’re coming home. I’m at a loss for words at how important it is to finally be back to a community that has been so helpful to my family. We want to bring success to Lehigh and help bring jobs to more people and create more memories.”