A rendering shows the future Boathouse Tiki Bar & Grill at Cape Coral Yacht Club.
Provided by Boathouse Tiki Bar &
USA TODAY Network, Reuters
Zak Kearns has been waiting. And waiting. And waiting.
“No one will be more excited to get the Boathouse back open than me,” said Kearns, whose Kearns Restaurant Group owns several area restaurants, including Boathouse, Izzy’s, Capone’s and more.
It’s been two years since a massive fire destroyed the wildly popular waterfront tiki bar & grill at the Cape Coral Yacht Club.
And that’s where the waiting has come in.
“We’re coming up on a year since we signed the deal with the city,” Kearns said, referring to a new 30-year lease agreement between Kearns Restaurant Group and the City of Cape Coral. “They started the seawall process. They just pretty much completed the walls. They still have to do the top cap.”
Work on the Boathouse has to be sequenced with the yacht club’s master plan
“Obviously, we want to be back as soon as possible, but we have to be cognizant of what’s going on around us,” Kearns said.
As far as his side goes, the Boathouse is in the final planning and design stage.
“We’re meeting with architects and engineers,” he said. “Then we’ll be submitting the permit.”
After that, things should progress quickly.
“Having rebuilt twice already, I’m pretty confident we know what to do,” he said, referring to when it first took over KC Riverstop’s old space and opened in May 2014, and again in July 2023 when it reopened with huge renovations 10 months after Hurricane Ian. “Once everything is set (with permits et al), it will take 8 to 10 months after that. I would love to see it open in June, July next year. I’m confident we will open in 2027.”
And when it does, it’ll be spectacular.
What to expect at Boathouse in Cape Coral
It’ll spread across both sides of the pier, with a bridge connecting it all, plus a lower area with cabanas and food-and-beverage service on the beach.
“With the new enhanced footprint, we will be close to 18,000 square feet,” Kearns said. “It’ll be a lot grander with a two-story tiki with a mezzanine, three bars, a real kitchen.”
With the bigger kitchen area, “we can do more.”
“We will have more dishes, more pastas, more composed entrees,” Kearns continued. “But we’re also very cognizant of keeping what the Boathouse was. We’re not making a big shiny new box. But it will be able to withstand hurricanes and still be standing 30 years from now.”
Boathouse comes to RSW
And while Kearns waits, he’s not just sitting around.
On Oct. 6, Boathouse Tiki Bar & Grill officially opened in the main terminal of Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW) in Fort Myers.
“We’re so excited to be there,” Kearns said. “This is great brand exposure for us. I think it’s so cool of (Southwest Florida International) airport to bring in local flavor.”
Boathouse at RSW will serve breakfast daily until 10:30 a.m., then “lunch all day, similar to how it was in Cape Coral.”
“We went through our top sellers, our staples,” said Kearns, adding they have a 10-year deal and HMSHost will run the restaurant. “We came up with an abbreviated version of what we feel is a well-rounded menu and drink package. Seafood is the focus, but there’s something for everybody.”
That project took a while too.
“It was a long process,” he said. “With continued delays, we were in communication for roughly five years. “We’re pre-TSA now. But when construction is all finished, we will be the first restaurant after TSA. It’s been a long project, but it’s well worth it.”
There’s Boathouse in Fort Myers too
And all this time, Boathouse has been thriving in Fort Myers too.
“That one’s been going great,” Kearns said. “It’s only a 10-to-15-minute drive from downtown Fort Myers.”
It debuted at Sweetwater Landing Marina off State Road 31 in July 2018 with an open-air tiki, heated pool, Jumbotron, docks, beach area and more.
“It’s the only waterfront restaurant in that market,” Kearns said.
And speaking of that …
“My goal is to get more waterfront,” he added.
The Boathouse in Cape Coral is certainly waterfront.
“I can’t wait to get back there,” Kearns said.
Neither can we.
Boathouse will once again be located at 5819 Driftwood Parkway, Cape Coral; in the meantime, visit Boathouse in Fort Myers at 17101 SR 31, (239) 332-2628, theboathouseusa.com and on Facebook
Robyn George is a food and dining reporter for The News-Press. Connect at rhgeorge@fortmyer.gannett.com
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This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: The Boathouse eyes 2027 Cape Coral return while new RSW location opens
Reporting by Robyn George, Fort Myers News-Press & Naples Daily News / Fort Myers News-Press
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
Construction has yet to begin on Boathouse Tiki Bar & Grill at the Cape Coral Yacht Club. Robyn George / Fort Myers News-P USA TODAY Network, Reuters 
Boathouse Tiki Bar & Grill has been a Cape Coral Yacht Club go-to since 2014. Robyn George / Fort Myers News-P USA TODAY Network, Reuters 
Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW) announced the opening of The Boathouse Tiki Bar & Grill on Oct. 6, 2026. Provided by Southwest Florida In USA TODAY Network, Reuters 
Owner Zak Kearns said the electrical fire that destroyed The Boathouse in Cape Coral started downstairs with one of the coolers. Robyn George / The News-Press USA TODAY Network, Reuters
Copyright Reuters or USA Today Network via Reuters Connect
This story was originally published October 12, 2026 at 8:17 AM.