Boathouse ‘eager & ready’ to build back
Although the specifics of the “reimagined” Boathouse Tiki Bar & Grill are still in the works, the popular restaurant at the Yacht Club will return bigger and better while retaining the attributes that made it a destination.
It won’t be the first effort on the part of the Kearns Restaurant Group, which established one of Cape Coral’s most popular eateries at its most popular park, rebuilt it after Hurricane Ian took it out, and then will rebuild again following a devastating fire.
Owner Zak Kearns said he is excited to look to what comes next.
“We are eager and ready to rebuild. We are working together to get something new in its place,” Kearns said. “We have been terrific partners with the city for over a decade. Sometimes it takes a little bit longer.”
Kearns Restaurant Group signed its concessionaire agreement with the city 10 years ago and reimagined KC’s Riverstop, a tiny structure of about 1,100 square feet into a much larger tiki-style restaurant overlooking the riverfront.
“It was the perfect building, deck. We want to build off of that — build higher, stronger, and safer,” Kearns said.
To that end, they have been working with the city on a regular basis.
The meetings have been held at City Hall with the city manager, city attorney, and members of various departments. Kimley-Horne was also brought into the loop, to discuss future plans and what their space looks like and changes addressed during the rebuilding of the Yacht Club Park, which lost its pier, marina and other amenities with the city then opting to raze the historic Yacht Club ballroom building so as to start from scratch.
A new resort-style complex, complete with two-story community center with lagoon and kiddie pools, four-story parking garage, new piers, expanded beach and more, is in the works on the city’s end.
The vision of what the Boathouse can be is exciting, as there has always been conversations of “if we could,” which never transpired because of how tremendously busy the location always was before the hurricane and then the fire, Kearns said.
After Hurricane Ian devastated the building, Kearns said they put more than $1.5 million into the rebuild. But, now, with the fire happening shortly after the re-opening, Kerns said it’s “the only opportunity within our lifetime, and span of the lease, and what may be the new lease, of what we can imagine now.”
Some of the reimagining may include additional bathrooms, storage and refrigeration.
Kearns said they know what worked, and what could be done differently, as they now have a decade of knowledge and experience they can reapply to the new space, “ground up space.”
That reimagined building, Kearns believes, has to include a tiki hut. He said the details of that design are in his head and on the design boards and mood boards – but it will definitely include sprinklers, withstand hurricanes, flood and weather.
“To me that is the most enjoyable part of it — creating a space that hopefully people will make memories at. We want to create experiences. The Boathouse did that for many people,” he said. “It gives us the opportunity to come up with fun, creative ideas and focus on what that property offers. I don’t think there is a better waterfront location.”
The Kearns Group is in the preliminary design stages with architects and engineers.
“The unfortunate thing to say is that we are at the mercy of time. That is the downside of it,” he said.
After the fire, Kearns said they brought in a third-party inspector, which showed that the fuel tanks, fuel lines and fuel dispensers were operational and not damaged by the fire.
Through the frequent meetings with the city, discussions about an interim type of service the Kearns Group can provide as the city’s large-scale rebuild project have been brought to the table.
Kearns said he is envisioning a pop-up scenario, not food trucks, but something modular that could be moved.
“A permanent feel, but modular set up,” he said. “We don’t know how long the process will take, but definitely want to continue to offer services and have people come enjoy and relax down there. As soon as we get our stuff organized and outlined, we are ready to rock and roll. I am really excited for what will be and I hope the community can stay rallied behind us. We are coming back, and we can’t thank the city enough for the support and dedication for wanting us to be there as well. We want many more years to come.”
The new permanent facility will be built to accommodate the greater numbers the new park complex is projected to bring so they can keep up with the demand, Kearns said.
The Boathouse became a destination through the years, attracting anywhere from 20,000 to 25,000 people a week – upwards of 3,000 a day through breakfast, lunch, dinner and fuel services, also part of the concessionaire contract. It employed 128 individuals.
“With us having 10 years of experience and handling that volume, seeing that demand — you know how it all comes together and the magic of the space,” he said
The fire happened after closing on Oct. 18, the day after the Boathouse reopened following Hurricane Milton. Employees, who were still onsite, discovered the fire and called it in but wind and a heavy “fuel load” including a fully-restocked bar, fed the fire which the Cape Coral Police Department aggressively fought both on land and by boat.
Unfortunately the process to rebuild is never as fast as you want it to be, Kearns said, adding that the process is underway.
“To have this unfortunate accident, it’s terrible,” Kearns said. “We will build something that will last forever, so to speak.”