In the Know: Twin Peaks, Newk’s Eatery, more coming to Naples Blvd.

Q: Any truth to the rumor that Twin Peaks will be opening a new restaurant on Naples Boulevard?

— Tom Bouse, Naples

A: Yes. It’s true. A Twin Peaks restaurant is planned on an outparcel near Dick’s Sporting Goods on Naples Boulevard in North Naples.

The sports-themed restaurant chain, promoted as “the ultimate man cave” with a rugged mountain lodge atmosphere featuring comfort food and 29-degree draft beer, is best known for its “Twin Peaks Girls,” servers clad in midriff-baring, red plaid tops. The first location in Southwest Florida, a 9,800-square-foot freestanding restaurant, opened in fall 2015 at Ben Hill Griffin Parkway and Alico Road in the Fort Myers area.

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The North Naples restaurant is proposed for the western edge of Naples Boulevard, next to a large pond south of Dick’s parking lot and across the street from the new Infiniti car dealership. Last year a Florida restaurant group acquired the less than an acre of commercial land at 5947 Naples Blvd. as well as the adjacent 10-acre lake. The vacant lot was used for Christmas tree sales the last two holiday seasons.

It’s too early to know a timeline for construction and a target launch date for the restaurant.

“The franchisee group has still to get plans approved through the building department, so generally still a year away,” Michael Locey, chief development officer for Dallas-based Twin Peaks Restaurants, replied in an email in November.

The restaurant will be developed by Davie-based DMD Florida Restaurant Group, a wholly owned subsidiary of Jafrejo Holdings LLC. The company, which also launched Twin Peaks in Fort Myers, holds the exclusive development rights to the national restaurant franchise for all of Southwest and South Florida.

Bringing Twin Peaks to Naples has been years in the making. In July 2013, Warm Restaurants announced a multi-unit development agreement to open Twin Peaks in Naples, Fort Myers, Sarasota and Bradenton, with the first location planned for Naples as early as summer 2014. Of course, that didn’t happen.

In February 2015, Jafrejo Holdings, a joint venture partner of Warm, announced its plans to build multiple units for Twin Peaks. The real estate development and holding company also develops restaurant franchises in Florida for VooDoo BBQ & Grill.

Founded in 2005, Twin Peaks has more than 80 restaurants in 25 states, including eight in Florida. Its menu features appetizers, soups, salads, burgers, sandwiches and hot dishes such as pot roast, steaks, fish and chicken.

Boulevard Shoppes II

Q: What is being built across from Costco on Naples Boulevard?

— Kristine Kline VanderHorst, Naples

Q: What is going up at Naples Boulevard in front of the movie theater and across from Miller’s Ale House?

— B.S., North Naples

A: Boulevard Shoppes II, a two-building retail center, is under construction in front of Hollywood 20 cinema along the south side of Naples Boulevard.

The two 12,000-square-foot strips will be connected by a central courtyard, similar to the first Boulevard Shoppes development completed 10 years ago on the north side of the North Naples street. Naples-based Houchin Construction Inc. started building the second phase early last year between Gordon Food Service and Miller’s Ale House.

Expect about a dozen businesses to open in the center, targeted for completion this year. Boulevard Shoppes II probably will have three restaurants, said Robert Carroll, a leasing and sales agent for Investment Properties Corp. of Naples.

The only business confirmed so far is Newk’s Eatery, a fast-casual restaurant chain making its Collier County debut with a 4,500-square-foot end unit that opens up to outdoor seating in the common courtyard. The dining concept founded in 2004 in Jackson, Mississippi, promotes an open kitchen with a menu of soups, salads, artisan pizzas, toasted sandwiches and desserts.

Newk's operates and franchises more than 100 eateries in 13 states, including 13 in Florida. While the majority of its Florida locations are in Jacksonville and the Panhandle, Newk’s has Gulf Coast locations in Clearwater and Bradenton, according to information on newks.com.

Although IPC cannot confirm additional tenants for Boulevard Shoppes II, a marketing flyer published online shows a building plan featuring the logos of a half-dozen other businesses: Chipotle Mexican Grill, Another Broken Egg Cafe, Phenomenom Nitrogen Ice Cream & Bake Shop, Rocket Fizz soda pop and candy shop, Tide Dry Cleaners and Noire the Nail Bar.

“Everything on there is being negotiated, and I believe it’s going to happen, but I have to tell you on this deal it ain’t signed until it’s signed,” Carroll said.

The sales flyer should be viewed as a preliminary prospectus rather than a realistic portrayal of future tenants. While the businesses listed were approached and have shown interest, they are not done deals.

Another Broken Egg Café, shown on the site map as coming to the other end unit abutting the center’s courtyard, has not signed a letter of intent for that 3,000-square-foot location, but it remains a possibility, said Jason Lamarca, the South Florida territory manager representing the breakfast-lunch chain.

“We are looking at moving forward into that market, but as of now we don’t have any concrete plans,” Lamarca said. “I’m definitely going to look at that site and see what we can negotiate.”

The first Another Broken Egg Cafe in this region opened two years ago in the former location of The Clock restaurant in Naples. The restaurant group intends to open four or five more locations in Florida this year, Lamarca said.

Likewise, the local representative for Tide Dry Cleaners franchises said he has not signed a lease for the 1,500-square-foot end unit in Boulevard Shoppes II nearest the Gordon Food Service store.

“We are looking at several sites in that area, but we haven’t committed to anything,” said Robert Lyons, president and CEO of Consolidated Cleaners Inc., which opened its first location in the area about five years ago.

Tide’s second location in Collier County is under construction near Park Shore Plaza on U.S. 41 in Naples. The shared location with a Starbucks coffee shop is expected to open in February, Lyons said.

Likewise, Chipotle Mexican Grill, which opened its second and third restaurants in the Naples area in 2017, is a possibility for the 2,400-square-foot endcap nearest Hollywood Boulevard in the new center on Naples Boulevard.

“According to one of Chipotle's real estate managers, they are indeed evaluating the area for a potential site, but nothing has been confirmed yet,” said Libby Pinkerton, a media spokeswoman for the Denver-based burrito chain. 

Meanwhile, representatives of Phenomenom, Rocket Fizz and Noire were unavailable for comment regarding future plans here.

If all of the prospective tenants for the spaces mentioned end up panning out, five additional 1,500-square-foot units would remain available in the new center.

Have a local question? Email it with your name and city of residence to intheknow@naplesnews.com. Tim Aten’s "In the Know" is published every Monday and Wednesday. Like In the Know on Facebook now at facebook.com/timaten.intheknow.