Ft Myers Beach - Good Neighbor
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Tune in to the Ft. Myers Beach – Good Neighbor Podcast, where the spirit of community meets the rhythm of island life. Each episode is a laid-back journey through heartfelt stories, local voices, and the connections that make our beach town so special. Whether you’re a resident or just dreaming of coastal breezes, let us be your guide to all things good in our neighborhood.
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Ft Myers Beach - Good Neighbor
FMBGN-BIZ-Snug Harbor, Wahoo Willies, and SOB-The How The Trio of Taste are Revitalizing the Beach
Peter Ennis invites us into the heart of Fort Myers Beach's resilient restaurant scene, showcasing how his trio of beloved establishments—Snug Harbor Waterfront Restaurant, Wahoo Willies, and SOB—are contributing to the community's remarkable comeback story.
When Peter opened Snug Harbor six years ago, he revived more than just a restaurant—he reconnected with local history, establishing the eatery on the same spot where the original Snug Harbor stood in the 1970s. What makes his approach special is the genuine boat-to-table experience. His business partner commercially catches fish just before Hurricane Pass, ensuring Chef Rizzo (who's worked with them for over 25 years) has access to the freshest possible seafood. For visitors unfamiliar with local species like triple tail, golden tilefish, or American red snapper, these dishes offer a true taste of southwest Florida waters.
The spirit of preservation extends to Peter's other ventures. At Wahoo Willies, operating partner Bill Ignati—whose family was part of the original cottage community—has reintroduced prime rib nights that hearken back to Charlie's Steakhouse, maintaining beloved traditions despite hurricane challenges. Similarly, when SOB's previous owners decided to move on, Peter and partners Angie and Hank Leitnicker stepped in to ensure this local favorite would continue serving the community.
Beyond serving excellent food and drinks, Peter's businesses actively strengthen community bonds through free concert series at Bayside Park between the restaurants. These Friday evening and Sunday afternoon gatherings have become essential meeting grounds where locals, seasonal residents, and first-time visitors connect through music and shared experience. After weathering multiple hurricanes, Peter has also become adept at rapid response, putting equipment on wheels for quick evacuation—a skill he wryly notes "you don't want to be good at," but one that's necessary for coastal business survival.
Want to experience Fort Myers Beach's revival firsthand? As Peter says, "The beach looks nicer than I think it's ever looked," with expanded shorelines and hotels reopening. Whether you arrive by car or boat (dockage available at Snug Harbor), you'll find a warm welcome, fresh seafood, and the unmistakable spirit that makes this slice of paradise worth fighting for.
Peter Ennis
Snug Harbor Restaurant
645 Old San Carlos Blvd, Fort Myers Beach, FL 33931
(239) 463-4343
snugharbor.restaurant
Wahoo Willies
645 Old San Carlos Blvd, Fort Myers Beach, FL 33931
239) 233-8055
wahoowillies.com
Smokin' Oyster Bar (SOB)
340 Old San Carlos Blvd, Fort Myers Beach, FL 33931
(239) 373-4115
sob4fun.com
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Welcome to the Fort Myers Beach Good Neighbor podcast, where the sun's always shining and the stories are even brighter. Each episode we bring you closer to the neighbors, local legends and beachside businesses that make Fort Myers Beach the slice of paradise we all love. Pull up a beach chair, grab a drink and let's meet the people who make this island feel like home. We want to send out some island love to Eric Tibbs from Edward Jones State Insurance USA and Home Well Care Services Fort Myers.
Speaker 2:Welcome to Fort Myers Beach. Good neighbors, we're all about no shade and just sunshine, and the sun is out today, so we love it. And we've got Peter Ennis from Stug Harbor, Wahoo Willies and SOB with us today. Yes, sir, yeah, welcome.
Speaker 3:Thanks for coming down to Stug Harbor and thanks for having us.
Speaker 2:We've got a beautiful view today and the weather is great, so let's jump in. So those are the people that aren't familiar with what you do down here. Why don't you start?
Speaker 3:off by sharing a little bit. Sure. Sure, about six years ago we opened Snug Harbor Waterfront Restaurant. This is on the same location that Snug Harbor existed, probably in the late 70s, really Okay. And then they actually moved to the N nelly's building and then, uh, we came back and opened in late 19. Wow, so we're doing that here. My partner catches local fish commercially, uh, in the little, uh little shack right before hurricane pass up in the air with the freezers and machines down below. Um, so it's very meticulous that, uh, that chef rizzo gets the best, freshest fish possible. Any seafood things we do, nick always has his hand on it and Chef Rizzo's worked with Nick they're like family for 25-plus years, so they do a great job together here. Bill Ignati is our operating partner at Wahoo Willies and he's been on the beach almost his whole life. His family was part of the cottage. Okay, he managed Charlie's Steakhouse. This summer, on Wednesdays and Saturdays we started bringing prime rib back like they used to at Charlie's. It's been a real big hit.
Speaker 2:They're iconic places.
Speaker 3:We brought back to SOB because Reed and his dad decided to move on. We brought a couple of partners in Angie and Hank Leitnicker. They came down. They're friends of Nick's. Okay, we met them, spent some time and we opened. Right around Christmas we reopened the SOB. We had a few tweaks because of the hurricane, but it's as similar as we could. We brought it back as best we could to close. You know, close to what it was.
Speaker 2:You've got a nice little trio of businesses right here. Yeah, we do.
Speaker 3:And we're doing. A great part of the world. I mean Fort Myers Beach is, you know, there's, you know, talk of some of the cottages that aren't here anymore if there are hurricanes, but the people are still here.
Speaker 1:That's what matters Right.
Speaker 3:The people are what make Fort Myers Beach Fort Myers Beach the community.
Speaker 2:Absolutely.
Speaker 3:And we've got to us here that, uh, we're gonna be hosting some events coming, yes, yes, tonight. Uh, tonight, actually, smack daddy's coming down. Okay, we have first friday night concert series. Um, we're gonna be doing here at bayside park between, uh, snug harbor, wahoo willies and nervous nelly's okay um 6 to 9 on Fridays and 4 to 7 on Sundays.
Speaker 3:We've been doing that for about a year and Sundays has been so good. It brings locals together with visitors, with people from out of town that haven't been down here before, and it's a free concert, so it's always good bands, local bands, and it's really good for Fort Myers.
Speaker 2:Beach. That's what I said. It brings the community together. Sunday's a great day, Sunday fun day right, absolutely, it's a great day.
Speaker 3:Sunday fun day right, absolutely, it's a great way. Spend the day at the beach on the boat and then pop in here at four o'clock and hang out for a few hours and listen to music. And fridays we're hoping to get people come out friday after work. Yeah, let's get on the beach and get something to eat and listen to a great band absolutely so let's back up the story a little bit here too.
Speaker 2:But, um, obviously we all deal with storms you, you know whether personally, professionally, Right, Fort Myers Beach has had their share in the last couple of years and challenges. Are there certain challenges that you've? I mean, we've all started to come back and grow a little bit from it. But is there something that kind of you kind of point back and say you know, we made it through. Now we're seeing the light at the end of the tunnel.
Speaker 3:Yeah, Unfortunately we lost a few pieces of equipment here on the dock at snug harbor when helene came through last year and less than two weeks later milton came through. So we learned by by just a couple pieces of refrigeration equipment we learned pretty good how to get everything on wheels, all of our equipment. We put on a couple trucks and just drove them off the island. Smart right.
Speaker 1:You know right.
Speaker 3:I think DeSantis said it the first time I'd heard it from any governor. When I say evacuate, leave, I don't mean drive to Alabama, Just get away from the water you know, get inland. Yeah, we literally just took it over to 41 and parked there a couple of days. We brought it back, our crew was excited to get it all back put together and we were open a few days later. And it's funny how.
Speaker 2:You don't want to be good at that. That's what I mean. You don't want to be good at it. But we've learned a lot.
Speaker 3:We've learned a lot.
Speaker 2:And it's helped prepare for other Absolutely so it's nice going forward. Running a business on the beach could be a challenge in itself too.
Speaker 3:It can Anywhere, but it's tough on the beach too, because everyone's, you know the town is trying to get back together. I think they're just moving into their, finally getting moved into their own offices and town hall, which is good. But, yeah, it's tough but we just we do our best to contribute where we can contribute where we can um the, the chamber, the women's club, the community foundation, fmb, strong so many, so many great, great organizations and great people that are trying to do things to keep the community building and keep it strong.
Speaker 2:So, whatever we can do to help, we do our best to try to contribute and I've noticed that because I was going to be my next question about giving back and supporting the community and you guys do quite a bit down, we should try you know, especially with the three businesses right in this area, it's it's important again, I, supporting the community and you guys do quite a bit down there, we sure try, you know, especially with the three businesses right in this area.
Speaker 3:It's important Again bringing the community together.
Speaker 2:Absolutely Supporting each other and growing in the right way. So I know you're not from Southwest Florida originally. I'm not you were born in the same town I was born in.
Speaker 3:It's a crazy story, tiny little town in Wisconsin. Tiny little town.
Speaker 2:yes, by the same doctor. It is crazy.
Speaker 3:I moved here in 1992, so I've been here 33 years Actually. My partner, nick Ruland, was actually one of the first people I met. I had a little place called Backwaters, over by Getaway Marina, and Nick had the fishmonger. I've been married for 20 plus years and I have to be right next door, so yeah, I was very fortunate to meet them early on. I was a young kid and didn't know much.
Speaker 2:What brought you down here to?
Speaker 3:start, my mom had a place in Cape Coral, so I came down to visit a few times and did the corporate life with Pizza Hut and decided I wanted to do something different, and so just the opportunity came up to lease a little place I call Backwaters, and so I did that for a few years and brought me down here, which is a great thing, nice, yes.
Speaker 2:We all love it. Yeah, I got tired of the cold weather and was like I'm out of here I'm moving south, and my joke was I was going to put a snow shovel on the foot of my car and drive until somebody asked me what it was. That's right. So I know operating three businesses down here could be very demanding of your time, but when you do get a moment of free time, what do you enjoy doing outside of work?
Speaker 3:You know what A little bit of golf. My son just moved home so he likes to golf, so we'll golf with him, and our family loves to boat, so not real often, but if we get on the boat, you know once a week or every other week then that's a great way to spend a few hours Getting know once a week or every other week, then uh, that's a great way to spend a few hours getting outside and enjoying the weather, absolutely, absolutely, and now's a good time of the year to get out because, especially with weather like this, yes, and it's not too crazy with no people.
Speaker 2:We can do it, because once season comes, we're busy non-stop, which is a good thing, but absolutely we need to enjoy it while we can, absolutely. So what is one thing that a first-time visitor when? When they come here, what do they need to try? What do you recommend?
Speaker 3:You know what, Like I mentioned with Nick getting the fish, anything you can get with Grouper. Or if you see a local fish and you say, what is that? I've never heard of that. It's probably something that just came off the boat. It's fresh, like a triple tail or a golden tilefish or gray tilefish or American red snapper. Maybe people from up north have never heard of them. Those are just delicious, delicious fish and again, Chef Rizzo prepares them about as good as you can make.
Speaker 2:And fresh. That's right, that's the best thing.
Speaker 3:What about drinks?
Speaker 2:Drinks.
Speaker 3:Actually it's funny you mentioned that this week, all weekend long through Monday, we're doing some Jimmy Buffett celebration drinks a bunch of tequila drinks here. Our ultimate margarita, even if it's not Jimmy Buffett, is probably the go-to drink I like my tequila Good frozen drinks too, but yes.
Speaker 2:Rum Runners, we got.
Speaker 3:Rum Runners.
Speaker 2:Absolutely. You're by the beach. You need one of those right, Absolutely For sure. So how would our listeners go about finding you or contacting you if they had any questions or wanted to stop?
Speaker 3:by. You know what. We're all on all three locations around Facebook. We all have websites. But I think the easiest way is, if you're at Times Square and you just walk four minutes towards the bay, you're going to run right into all three restaurants. When you come, you can't see the bridge from here. The bridge is literally 200 yards from here. So when you come off the bridge onto the beach, on the north end.
Speaker 3:You can just look down to your right. You'll see it take a right and a right and again. You'll be on old st carl's boulevard drive till you get to the end and you'll run right into all three restaurants. It's a great little area. It's a great corner it is it is and we have.
Speaker 3:You know there's other operations around too. You know, like mentioned nervous dally's, matt tanzas is there. Um, you know margaritaville is halfway between here and Times Square, yep, you know. So there's a lot of good places to go, a lot of hotels to stay at. Now we you know the Lighthouse Hotel and the Tiki Bar. They've been open for months. Lonnie Kai, diamond Head, my wife and I went and did a little walkthrough with Tim over at the Best. Western Resort and it's beautiful, nice little pool, beautiful wide area of the beach.
Speaker 2:The beach looks nicer than I think it's ever looked. The beach is big, it's nice. It's crazy how big the beach is now. I'm like they did a great job with that.
Speaker 3:They did, and the pier is what? A year and a half away.
Speaker 2:Yeah, they say, they got the plans let's hope. Yeah, let's, it's coming back.
Speaker 3:It is. Absolutely, absolutely, and that's what we're excited about A little slow, but it's coming back and it's coming back good in a good way for everyone.
Speaker 2:So we're inviting the people to come on down check it out, enjoy the beach, enjoy the weather.
Speaker 3:Enjoy the restaurants that's right.
Speaker 2:Fresh fish right. That's right. There we go. Any last words for our listeners today?
Speaker 3:No, I just Just really look forward to just what you said. Open to the public by dockage here at Snug Harbor All three restaurants are. We think we have very good staffs and we just really welcome. Whether you're Lee County, collier County or you're down from Wisconsin, come and check us out.
Speaker 2:Very good, Peter. Thank you for being such a good neighbor.
Speaker 3:Oh, absolutely, it's been a pleasure getting to know you and we're going to have some drinks and food. All right. Yes, we are going to have a great weekend. Sounds good, all right, Thank you, thank you.
Speaker 1:Thanks for tuning in to the Fort Myers Beach Good Neighbor Podcast, where community meets paradise. If you loved what you heard, share it with a friend and keep the good vibes going Until next time. Stay sunny, stay salty and keep being a good neighbor. Also, to nominate your favorite neighbors, local legends, heroes or island businesses to be on the show, go to CaboWaboJim. com. That's CaboWaboJim. com, or call 239-427-4100. We want to send out some island love to Eric Tibbs from Edward Jones State Insurance USA and Home Well Care Services Fort Myers. They are the businesses that allow us to share the soul of our community with every listener, from local stories to the positive vibe of island life. Here's to celebrating all that makes Fort Myers Beach the slice of paradise we all love.