Kevin King is the general manager at Edison Tavern on McGregor Boulevard in Fort Myers.
Robyn George / Fort Myers News-P
USA TODAY Network, Reuters
Kevin King had the perfect name.
“I’m from the Midwest,” he said. “I love taverns. They remind me of when I grew up. My parents brought us there to meet neighbors and friends.”
So when it came time to rename the completely renovated Edison Restaurant at Fort Myers Country Club, King knew exactly what to do.
“I think it was Edison Restaurant, Bar and Banquet Center or something like that,” the general manager and operator of the City of Fort Myers-owned restaurant and banquet space said. “I named it Edison Tavern. It’s a neighborhood place. We don’t have bar food or restaurant food. We have tavern food.”
And it fits perfectly.
The day we dropped by the aptly named restaurant on McGregor Boulevard, it was indeed taverny, through and through.
We sat at the spacious and lovely new bar, chatted with locals and out-of-towners, laughed with the friendliest of friendly bartender, looked for sasquatch (more on that in a second), poked around the place and ate, drank and were merry. A quick lunch turned into a two-plus-hour mid-day break.
“It’s been a river of smiles,” said King, who grew up in Deerfield, Illinois, along Chicago’s North Shore. “It makes me happy when people are happy.”
Despite just debuting on Sunday, Sept. 20, it already seems to be doing just that.
Waiting on the Edison Tavern to open
That opening (or rather reopening) followed a two-year, top-to-bottom overhaul after closing in late July 2024 for renovations.
“The building goes back to 1992,” said King, whose Three Warriors Management entered an agreement with the city in 2024 to renovate the building and reopen the restaurant by June 2025.
“This was the first time updating and renovating everything since then. The total scope of the work was enormous. We couldn’t do it all at once. The floors were four different levels in some places. Now, it’s all one level. We redid the steps. They were three levels with one built on top of another. It’s all new – gas lines, plumbing, electric, the roof, everything.”
The only thing left to do redo now is the outside bar.
“We already started to demo,” said King, who managed the restaurant for seven years on a month-to-month lease before entering a 10-year agreement with the city in 2024, with an option to renew for two additional 5-year terms. “That should be done in about 30 days. It will be the final touch. I can’t wait.”
And if it’s anything like the rest of the work that’s been done, we can’t either.
The past meets the present at Edison Tavern
Step into the lighter and brighter Edison Tavern, and you’ll find old Florida mixed with modern touches. The main entry features historic photos and contemporary furnishings. The drab brown brick walls and archways were painted white. They’re everywhere, and they’re gorgeous.
Head straight through the first archway, past a glowing and trendy sidebar, and you’ll find a large room with picture-perfect golf course views.
“We created this space,” King proudly said. “It can be rented for rehearsals, weddings, celebrations of life, reunions.”
In just the first week it was open, five events had already been held there.
Around the corner and down a few stairs is another rentable room that’s more intimate, with leather seating and shades of blue and tan.
But we went for the bar and restaurant, and that’s where we will gladly return.
Back at Edison Tavern’s bar
Three vibrant seating areas are featured, all enveloped in white brick, warm wood and abundant natural light.
“There’s a flow in here,” King said. “The bar fills up first. Then the banquettes and then the tables.”
That oversized, 28-seat rectangular bar is the focal point.
“We set it up so people can sit down and have conversations with others around them,” King said. “It’s all new and really cool.”
The banquettes (upholstered benches with tables and chairs) seat 12 to 15, line the wall parallel to McGregor Boulevard and are great for groups and conversation.
The dining room, with 14 low-top tables seating four each, is on the golf course side of the room.
A game room with a couple of tables, a pool table, darts, and, of course, a golf video game is tucked away off the bar.
“We opened it up back there,” King said. “We took a wall down and had an Everglades scene hand-painted on the far wall. There’s a hidden sasquatch somewhere in it.”
If you find it in less than two minutes, you’re doing better than we did.
Lunch and dinner at Edison Tavern
As King stated, “It’s not a bar, and it’s not fine dining. It’s a tavern.”
Expect shareables (from deviled eggs and garlic knots to smoked chicken wings and a half rack of baby backs), salads (house, cobb, Caesar, chopped) and 16-inch tavern pizza.
“It’s cut into squares,” King said of the latter. “It’s easier to share that way.”
Handhelds include a hot pastrami Reuben (smothered in sauerkraut, Swiss and Thousand Island dressing), a honey chicken sandwich and the popular Tootie tuna croissant.
“The smash burger is doing well,” King added. “So are the rice bowls. We also added a daily special that’s been great. We’ve been tweaking the menu.”
Chicago Italian beef – with traditional shaved beef and giardiniera peppers on a hoagie roll with au jus – is one of the new tweaks.
“It’s a comfort food, a Midwest thing,” King said. “If people ask for it, they will get it.”
Pasta and chicken dishes, and game day (it hosts the SW Florida Bears Fan Club) and kids menus round things out.
“We are so lucky to be right on McGregor (Boulevard),” King said. “We want people to stop in and have lunch here. We want them to have dinner and happy hour here. Watch sports here. Our goal was to get the neighborhood back. And that’s what a tavern does.”
Welcome back. We missed you.
Edison Tavern, 3583 McGregor Blvd., Fort Myers; open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday to Tuesday and 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Wednesday to Saturday; (239) 936-9348; edisontavern.com or find on Facebook
Robyn George is a food and dining reporter for The News-Press. Connect at rhgeorge@fortmyer.gannett.com
Please support local community journalism and stay informed about Southwest Florida news by subscribing to The News-Press and Naples Daily News; download the free News-Press or Naples Daily News app, and sign up for daily briefing email newsletter, food & dining and growth & development newsletters here and here.
This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: New neighborhood tavern debuts after two-year renovation in Fort Myers
Reporting by Robyn George, Fort Myers News-Press & Naples Daily News / Fort Myers News-Press
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
This lovely archway will take you from the bar at Edison Tavern to the new event space overlooking Fort Myers Country Club. Robyn George / Fort Myers News-P USA TODAY Network, Reuters 
The terrace outside of Edison Tavern at Fort Myers Country Club has unobstructed views of the golf course. Robyn George / Fort Myers News-P USA TODAY Network, Reuters 
The main entrance next to the bar at Edison Tavern has been completely redone with new flooring, painted bricks and historical photos. Robyn George / Fort Myers News-P USA TODAY Network, Reuters 
Edison Tavern and all its adjoining rooms, like this one which is available to rent, have been renovated from top to bottom. Robyn George / Fort Myers News-P USA TODAY Network, Reuters 
With its “Cheers”-like vibe, the bar at Edison Tavern is a great neighborhood gathering space. Robyn George / Fort Myers News-P USA TODAY Network, Reuters 
Everything at the recently reopened Edison Tavern in Fort Myers is new, including this dining area just off the bar. Robyn George / Fort Myers News-P USA TODAY Network, Reuters 
Edison Tavern is back open after two years of renovations. Robyn George / Fort Myers News-P USA TODAY Network, Reuters 
The glazed salmon rice bowl is on the lunch and dinner menus at Edison Tavern in Fort Myers. Robyn George / Fort Myers News-P USA TODAY Network, Reuters 
The Tootie tuna croissant is a popular item lunch item at Edison Tavern in Fort Myers. Robyn George / Fort Myers News-P USA TODAY Network, Reuters
Copyright Reuters or USA Today Network via Reuters Connect
This story was originally published October 2, 2026 at 1:06 PM.