"As the center has grown and is established now, it's a fairly large shopping center," PJ Hill, leasing manager for the Shoppes at Vanderbilt, told Naples Press this fall. "We have so much here it gets tricky to find good complementary concepts."
The center's answer to that problem shows in which businesses are taking the empty spaces at the northwest corner of Airport-Pulling and Vanderbilt Beach roads. Most of them are opening their first location, or bringing a brand to Southwest Florida for the first time, or selling time spent there as much as a product. The center was mostly a place for quick errands, and with these tenants it is becoming a place to spend an afternoon or an evening.
February Left a Row of Empty Storefronts
Two restaurants closed at the center in February: Imperio Taqueria and Crazy King Burrito. Kitchen Social's former space was also open, and so was The Axe Lodge's large unit facing Airport-Pulling. The Axe Lodge space has since been split into three smaller units.
Meanwhile, the center added new space. A single-story building is finished on the north side of the CVS pharmacy, and a two-story building of more than 20,000 square feet sits just west of the pharmacy. That means the center was replacing tenants in some spaces and finding first tenants for others at the same time.
Here is where each space stands, based on reporting from September and the center's own directory:
| Space | Previous use | New tenant |
|---|---|---|
| 2355 Vanderbilt Beach Rd, Suite 142 | Imperio Taqueria | Big Daddy Smash Burger |
| End unit, same row | Crazy King Burrito | Quick-service concept, name not yet released |
| Former Kitchen Social | Kitchen Social | Art of Fudge |
| 2371 Vanderbilt Beach Rd, Suite 705 | Part of The Axe Lodge | Paradise Coast Mahjong |
| Other former Axe Lodge units | The Axe Lodge | Serenity Medical Spa, TG Hair Salon |
| Building 1000, 2373 Vanderbilt Beach Rd | New construction | The Good Pour |
| Building 1100, Suite 1102 | New construction | Rusty's Rooftop Raw Bar & Grill |
| Building 1100, Suite 1116 | New construction | Corvé Fine Cabinetry & Millwork showroom |
Several Are Brand-New Names
Big Daddy Smash Burger, with made-to-order smashburgers and hand-cut fries, is taking the old Imperio Taqueria space. "They are launching this brand. This will be the first location for them," Hill told Naples Press. He described the people behind it as experienced in restaurants and hospitality. It was scheduled to open in November.
The company that leased the old Crazy King Burrito end unit is also launching a new brand. Its name has not been released. Hill said the space is set up for quick service and that this is likely how it will run.
The Good Pour is newer to Southwest Florida than to the rest of the state. Ray Horal and his wife, Giuliana, started the wine and spirits chain in Winter Park. The North Naples store is its fifth location and its first outside Central Florida. Naples residents Ivo Atanasov and Jeff Nichols own and run the local store. Horal explained the choice of market simply.
"To me, it's the most dynamic wine market in the country."
Rusty's Raw Bar & Grill is a longtime local restaurant, but the space it is moving into is a new concept for it. After 23 years at Uptown Center on Immokalee Road, Rusty's plans to reopen in early 2027 as Rusty's Rooftop Raw Bar & Grill at 2343 Vanderbilt Beach Road, Suite 1102. It will have a bar on both floors and indoor and outdoor bar seating upstairs. Hill said the goal is to keep what Rusty's is known for while adjusting the concept for this location. As quoted by Naples Press, Rusty's website says, "We'll close one day here and open there the next." The Uptown Center restaurant is expected to stay open through January.
Many of the New Tenants Sell an Experience
Several new tenants are built around spending time in the store.
At The Good Pour, WineEmotion dispensers pour 16 wines by the glass in 1-ounce, 3-ounce or 6-ounce sizes, eight whites and eight reds. A separate machine pours seven spirits, including hard-to-find bourbons and tequilas, Atanasov told Naples Press. The store also has a Tasting Bar for rare whisky and wine, a Reserve Room for private events, and a gift bar where shoppers build their own baskets. Nichols called the gift bar "a Build-A-Bear for adults." The Good Pour partners with more than 300 nonprofits, and each shopper chooses which charity gets a share of the profits. Its Naples page now says the store is open. Hours are 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Sunday.
Paradise Coast Mahjong took Suite 705 in the old Axe Lodge space, and its website says it is now open in Naples. The plan described to Naples Press includes a shop for mahjong sets and accessories, plus lessons, leagues, open play, memberships and special events. "It will be a fun place for people to come play, hang out and purchase anything and everything related to mahjong," Hill said. The space it replaced was also an activity business, built around axe throwing.
Art of Fudge, coming to the former Kitchen Social space, is set up the same way. Hill described it as a fresh fudge and candy shop that will also offer hands-on experiences and group events.
A tasting bar, a mahjong league, a fudge workshop and a two-level rooftop bar are all businesses people come to for an hour or more. That fits Hill's description of the "eclectic mix" the center is trying to curate.
Some Familiar Tenants Are Changing Too
Some changes involve businesses that were already at the center. Mystic Lobster Roll Co. is now Magic Lobster Rolls after a change in ownership, and its menu still centers on classic and specialty lobster rolls. The center's directory lists it at 2355 Vanderbilt Beach Road, Suite 148, open daily from 11 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Lola Moda, a women's clothing shop, is listed at Suite 130 with daily hours of 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Its neighbor, Neighborhood Organics Market & Cafe, has been at the center since 2014 and is known for its house-made soups, baked goods and prepared meals. The owners decided not to renew the lease, which ends in November.
On the Building 1100 side, Corvé Fine Cabinetry & Millwork planned a fall opening for a first-floor showroom at 2355 Vanderbilt Beach Road, Suite 1116. It will be the second location for the local custom cabinetry company, which already has a space on Old 41 Road.
Neighborhood Organics Stays On at the Saturday Market
Neighborhood Organics is leaving its storefront but staying at the center on Saturdays. "Super sad to see them go. They've been with us so long," Hill told Naples Press. He added that the owners will stay involved in the Saturday farmers market.
The market's season is already underway. According to the Vanderbilt Farmers Market website:
- Season: October 3, 2026, through May 22, 2027
- Hours: Saturdays, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., rain or shine
- Location: 2355 Vanderbilt Beach Road
- Size: more than 90 vendors during the October-to-May season
The center's events page also lists the market on Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.
If you are driving in from the Gulf side, there is roadwork along the way. Collier County is widening 1.8 miles of Vanderbilt Beach Road from just east of U.S. 41 to just east of Goodlette-Frank Road, from four lanes to six. Lane closures are scheduled between 9 a.m. and 3:30 p.m., Monday through Saturday, which overlaps most of market hours. The county's July announcement says box culvert work in spring 2027 is expected to narrow traffic to one lane in each direction for about two months between Strada Place and Goodlette-Frank Road. The center is east of that stretch at Airport-Pulling Road, so drivers coming from the north or east avoid the work zone.
Amy Nease tracks changes like these along the North Naples corridors, because which restaurants, shops and markets are nearby shapes daily life in the communities around them. If you're weighing a home along Vanderbilt Beach Road or anywhere in Naples and want an advisor who follows these changes closely, Amy Nease welcomes the conversation. Request a private consultation.
