In the Know: Food trucks, brews destined for Bayshore Drive in East Naples

New dining destinations on Bayshore Drive in East Naples have been showing progress this summer with a goal to open by the end of the year.

Celebration Park

In the planning stages for years, the highly-anticipated Celebration Park food truck venue is taking shape along Haldeman Creek and is set for a fall opening.

“We’re just full steam ahead. I believe that we’ll be completing early October,” said Ken Smith of Acadian Builders.

Months since the Naples-based company broke ground on the vacant lot at Bayshore and Becca Avenue in March, framework for the waterfront park’s pavilion and restrooms can be seen from Three60 Market across the creek.

“They are on target to be done by the end of September or beginning of October. That’s kind of the time frame,” said Rebecca Maddox, who owns both Three60 Market and Celebration Park.

Previously:Food truck park breaking ground on Bayshore

And:Developer backs out of theater-condos plan for Bayshore Drive

Maddox plans to open her food truck park shortly after it is completed, barring any hurricanes or permitting issues, of course.

“If we keep going as we are, it will be in that mid-October range that we open,” she said.

The original plan calls for eight food trucks lining a promenade that ends at a pavilion with a tiki bar. “We’ll definitely have that,” Maddox said.

That includes food trucks selling New York pizza, Chicago hot dogs, French, Greek, Indian and Dutch cuisines and more.

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“Very eclectic. I want it to feel really different,” she said. “I kind of want it to feel when you walk in the gate like an international village almost. It’s just going to be a cool place to hang out and people watch.”

To plan the experience, Maddox meets with her food truck team every Thursday afternoon. Although she has assembled a starting lineup, she remains open-minded to more fabulous food.

“I don’t want to close the door yet,” she said.

One vendor, Dilly’s Seafood, will sell the fresh Gulf fish it catches daily from venturing nearly 75 miles offshore in crystal blue water away from inshore red tide and algae blooms. A live feed from GoPro cameras with Tim Dillingham’s commercial fishing team will be able to be watched on monitors at Celebration Park.

“I’m really excited about the whole experience of knowing it when it will hit the dock,” Maddox said. “We are going to be able to sell the fresh fish. You are going to be able to buy it from him directly from the boat. It’s going to be really fun.”

Dilly’s also will have a food truck to prepare the seafood for on-site consumption.

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“He’s got all the licenses, which really attracted me to him,” Maddox said. “He’s locked in. He’s got a story and a product that’s phenomenal.”

When Acadian recently started work on the roof of the pavilion and framing the bar, Maddox said Celebration Park became real.

“It’s really going to happen,” she said. “People really got excited about that. It’s going to happen now. I hope it becomes a real gift to Naples.”

Maddox also celebrates other projects in the works along Bayshore Drive.

“Anything that’s added to Bayshore is a good thing and gives them another reason to come there. I think the more the better,” she said.

Ankrolab Brewing Co.

Underway on the opposite side of Bayshore Drive, Ankrolab Brewing Co. is being built in a vacant warehouse next to San Julian Taqueria.

Ankrolab, targeted to open near the end of this year, will be a family- and pet-friendly microbrewery featuring an outdoor beer garden, said Ankrolab Brewing co-owner Adam Kelley.

“We will have a state-of-the-art brew facility and a food truck on site,” he said. ““The community support there has been unreal. I really couldn’t have done it without them.”

The architect, Naples-based HLevel, received an unbuilt design award from the American Institute of Architecture for the project and, after a groundbreaking in May, Naples-based BUILD recently started the project within the metal framework of the former small engine warehouse at 3555 Bayshore Drive.

"To get the thing brew-ready it pretty much had to be stripped down to the skeleton," Kelley said.

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When the business is indeed brew-ready, passersby will be able to see the brewery’s eight stainless-steel fermentation tanks in the front windows of the business.

“Those will be underlit with LEDs. It’s going to look awesome,” Kelley said.

The nearly 6,000-square-foot brewing company will have its business in the front and a party in the back, so to speak. While the front half of the building will be used for brewing equipment, the back will be a beer garden terrace for tasting and entertainment.

Kelley has been homebrewing beer for at least eight years, but he will hire a brewmaster to make Ankrolab-branded brews. He said the brewhouse will be able to do it all, producing 150 barrels total at a time from New England-style IPAs to West Coast varieties to beers popular in Belgium and Germany.

A barbecue food truck that recently relocated from the heart of Texas will be permanently stationed at the brewhouse to complement the cold beer with hot smoked brisket, spare ribs, pulled pork, sausage and turkey breast.

“We’ll work on a seasonal menu, as well, to maybe have a small pairing menu, too,” Kelley said.

Pit Commander Barbecue is a commercial kitchen on wheels commanded by Stephan T. Nedwetzky. He has been tempting taste buds Saturdays at the farmers market in the Galleria Shoppes at Vanderbilt in North Naples. He sells out every week before 11 a.m.

“Once Akrolab is built — we are hoping by Thanksgiving — I’m going to be there permanently,” he said. “All my focus is going to be there. We want to make it a destination point. We want to have consistency.”

Nedwetzky proudly creates Central Texas barbecue, which means the meats are enhanced more by rubs and less by sauce than the eastern or western regions of the state and lack the Mexican influence of the southern region. Of course, he also follows family recipes for sides such as barbecue beans, potato salad, cole slaw and Texas Tornadoes – brisket and cream cheese-filled jalapenos wrapped with bacon. He’ll even have apple dumplings smoked on the pit.

The pit commander is already planning a special schedule for barbecue taco Tuesdays with both homemade corn masa tortillas and deep-fried puffy tacos. On Saturdays, expect specialty meats such as Wagyu beef belly and beef ribs.

Best Popcorn Co.

South of Thomasson Drive on Bayshore will be home to a sweet business specializing in popcorn, saltwater taffy and ice cream.

Best Popcorn Co., targeted to open around the first week in October, will be operated by two brothers – Kevin Kurgis and John Ginter – in a tiny structure they own near Naples Botanical Garden. The freestanding home at 6023 Bayshore Drive previously housed an art gallery.

It’s a new location for an old business. The popcorn has been sold at the Third Street South Farmers Market for 15 years. It’s also available online and at Orchard Supply Hardware stores in Florida.

The trademarked Naples Mix — a combination of caramel corn and white cheddar popcorn — is one of the top local sellers. The business also produces kettle corn as well as popcorn in a variety of flavors such as apple pie, butterscotch, cinnamon bun, orange cream, peppermint, toffee and vanilla.

More on Bayshore

Another old business on Bayshore is seeing new life.

The exterior of the former home of Anchor Bar & Lounge, Ozzy’s Place, Bayshore Breeze Inn and The Ship’s Inn Tavern at 3929 Bayshore Drive recently was repainted white and blue and new glass sliders were installed. The former bar and eatery on the corner of Lunar Street closed last year and is being renovated to be reopened as a pizza restaurant, county records show. Owner Antonino Miceli could not be reached for comment.

For the latest in local restaurants coming and going, see Tim Aten’s “In the Know” columns archived at naplesnews.com/intheknow, and on Facebook at facebook.com/timaten.intheknow.

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