25 restaurants in 27 years: Phelan Family Brands opens Keewaydin’s on Fifth, a new concept
“If you want a grouper sandwich or a dozen oysters on Fifth Avenue for lunch, where do you go?”
That’s the question Grant Phelan, CEO of Phelan Family Brands, has been asking for years.
His group’s new restaurant, Keewaydin’s, opened on Jan. 5 for dinner. Lunch aims to answer this void and is slated to start Jan. 28.
Island inspiration
The multi-million-dollar renovation of what was Yabba Island Grill takes its cue from islands; a family trip to Greece in 2022 inspired much of its décor and menu.
Tropical islands, including the Bahamas and Puerto Rico, are represented here too.
“While islands are similar all over the world, you have different flavor components. One thing that’s constant is great seafood,” said Phelan.
About 70% of the fish offerings are from the company’s Island Crab. Co. on Pine Island. Cooking falls under executive chef Carlos Rios Babilonia’s purview; he previously worked at The Claw Bar and Marco Island’s JW Marriott.
Phelan, who also bought Skip Quillen’s Chops City Grill and Pazzo in June, attributes Yabba’s inside/outside bar as its greatest feature. He was always a fan because his dad “always says Southwest Florida is God's greatest dining room.”
He shared how his company’s restaurants always try to capture Southwest Florida’s “breezes, the air, the feeling”, acknowledging how Campiello on Third Street South evokes this mood exceptionally well.
Phelan describes Yabba’s original bar with big holes as a spot “where it didn't feel like you were sitting in the restaurant if you were sitting outside.”
To remedy that, he created a large metal structure with glass that makes for a more seamless inside/outside experience. Sitting outside at one of the 15 tables offers people watching as its next-door neighbor is Sugden Community Theatre’s busy plaza with Ocean Prime in sightlines.
“I can't even put it in words. I consider this the greatest location in Naples,” said Phelan.
A peek inside
With five dining spaces, Phelan’s goal is to impart a different vibe in each.
The front dining room, which Phelan describes as “more classic, quieter style” boasts framed images devoted to Keewaydin Island, with views of Fifth Avenue South and its hundreds of people passing by.
The main dining room, decorated with a mural, lovely grass-made light fixtures and a big tarpon hanging over the space, is more energetic.
Mezzanine seating offers views of the dining room plus sound-absorbing fabrics overhead. It’s defined by a wall-spanning banquette for large groups.
The barrel-ceiling bar also offers views of the plaza.
25 restaurants in 27 years
When asked what he wanted readers to know, he mentioned how there are so few restaurants, “if any,” on Fifth Avenue South that are owned by people who grew up in Naples. He met his wife Laurie who was born in Naples when both were seniors at Barron Collier High School. All four of their kids were born in Naples.
And while Tin City’s Pincher’s location is technically on the avenue, it’s a different kind of destination.
Keewaydin’s is the company’s 25th restaurant. Grant and his father, Tony Phelan, opened the first Pinchers, a 1,500 square foot family-friendly crab and seafood joint with 12 tables, “a dream and a prayer” in Bonita Springs on Oct. 15, 1997. They were two of six people working there.
Back then, the Phelan family had just moved to Naples from Wichita Falls, Texas, “where there are no palm trees. It's Mesquite trees. There's no sand; it's red clay,” said Phelan.
Tumbleweeds too.
For Grant, Keewaydin Island always had a special place in his heart.
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“I'd go on a friend’s boat because we didn't have a boat, and we’d launch from Naples Boat Club or wherever we could and head to Keewaydin. We’d stay from morning until sunset. It was just this magical experience, epitomizing what Southwest Florida and Naples are.”
“I always want to emulate that feeling and beauty of watching the sun go down into our restaurants.”
Current hours are 4:30 to 9 p.m. daily for dinner; the bar opens at 4 p.m. Once lunch service starts at the end of January, happy hour will run from 3 to 6 p.m. at the bar.
(711 Fifth Ave. S., Naples; 239-262-5787; keewaydins.com)
This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: Phelan Family Brands opens Keewaydin’s on Fifth, a new concept
