Rock icon Alice Cooper visited several local businesses across Fort Myers, Sanibel Island, and Cape Coral between May 4 and May 6, 2026, surrounding his concert at the Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall. The musician engaged with fans at the Edison Mall and dined at local eateries while traveling with his wife and a 35-person touring crew, according to reports from The News-Press.
At the newly opened Old Town New Market Central inside Edison Mall, Cooper spent approximately 30 minutes browsing vintage goods and chatting with staff on May 5. Retailer Trish Janey recognized the singer despite his casual attire of jean shorts and a baseball cap.
“He’s a legend,” says Janey. “Absolutely a legend.”
Janey initially encountered the rock star near her booth while she was heading to a storage area.
“I said, ‘Hello, how are you?’” says Janey, who runs the vintage booth Redbird 23 inside Old Town New Market Central. “I would have greeted anyone who was very close to my face. But yeah, it happened to be Alice Cooper, and I put that together pretty quick in my mind.
The store employees noted that the couple carried multiple shopping bags and appeared approachable during their visit.
“And I was like, ‘Wow, it’s great to see you out here in the wild.’ … And then he was like, ‘Yeah, we have a show.’”
Janey expressed her excitement regarding the celebrity encounter in their small town.
“It was just great knowing that he’s visiting our little town,” Janey says. “And he’s getting out and meeting people.”
The market’s co-owner, Kim Lee-Smith, initially mistook Cooper for a local musician before confirming his identity.
“Then I said to him, ‘Are you Alice Cooper?’” Lee-Smith says. “And he’s like, “No, I’m Brad Pitt.’ And so I was like, ‘Oh, my gosh, I can’t believe you’re here in my store!’ ’”
During the visit, Cooper signed merchandise and discussed his personal interests, including his faith.
“It was super-cool,” Janey says. “He’s just a down-to-earth guy.”
The staff members admitted to being overwhelmed with excitement once the couple departed the vintage market.
“We were in disbelief,” Janey says, “and we were kind of screaming afterwards, like little girls.”
Beyond shopping, the rocker also visited Crisp Creperie in Cape Coral on May 6, where owner Jack Hernandez identified him after a server questioned his identity. Hernandez noted that Cooper was drawn to the restaurant by a sign identifying it as “The Jesus Joint.”
“She said, ‘Oh yeah, you sort of look like Alice Cooper,'” Hernandez says. “And he says, ‘I AM Alice Cooper.’ And she said to him, ‘No, you’re not.’”
The owner was called to the table to settle the playful dispute with the singer.
“She said, ‘Who does that look like? Who does that guy look like?'” he says. “And I went over and I go, ‘That’s Alice Cooper.’”
The rocker reportedly expressed high praise for the meal during his lunch visit.
“He goes, ‘This is by far my favorite restaurant now.'”
Hernandez, a fan of the musician, noted they shared mutual acquaintances in the music industry.
“He said that’s what brought him in,” Hernandez says.
The restaurant owner described the meeting as a significant highlight for the establishment.
“It was awesome,” Hernandez says. “I mean, I’m standing here with a legend, the legendary Alice Cooper. Who wouldn’t be stoked?”
The tour group also visited The Timbers on Sanibel Island on May 4, where employee Kristin Swanson served the 35-person party. Swanson confirmed the group enjoyed stone crab and swordfish prior to the scheduled performance.
“They were all so amazing. Great people. Alice Cooper ate stone crab and swordfish. Yum!”