From the owners of the acclaimed Fat Katz in Fort Myers, Skinny Dogz is coming soon to Gateway. Get a sneak peek, plus more food news in A La Carte.
Cappuccinos, frittatas, and appetizers at breakfast — that's the plan for Skinny Dogz Brunchery.
This breakfast-lunch-brunch restaurant is coming to Gateway in a newly constructed building at 11970 Fairway Lakes Drive near Rock'n Sushi and the 7-Eleven. Skinny Dogz plans to open its doors for a grand opening on July 1.
Here's what we know.
Who owns Skinny Dogz?
Gregg and Krista Buell. The couple also own Fat Katz, the 5-year-old "sports bistro" on Daniels Parkway, so they know this process well.
"Hopefully, we can take what we learned and apply it here," Gregg said, sitting in the new building, the walls still smelling of fresh paint.
The Buells bought the land for Skinny Dogz in 2015 and broke ground in November. Skinny Dogz is just eight miles from Fat Katz, but a catchy name is the only similarity the restaurants share.
"Of course, (Skinny Dogz) will be totally different," Gregg said.
What's on the menu?
Gregg is the head chef of Fat Katz and will be pulling five people from its kitchen to get Skinny Dogz running smoothly. The kitchen will make biscuits and doughnuts from scratch and grind its own sausage.
Skinny Dogz will incorporate some of Fat Katz' famous sauces, but otherwise the menu is all new.
“We just want it to be a totally different experience, but that’s where the pressure’s on us now," Gregg said.
One innovation: breakfast appetizers.
Take the brie en croute — a wheel of cheese wrapped in puff pastry with homemade berry jam and candied pecans. Other starters include a Bloody Mary shrimp salsa, and a smoked fish dip with sun-dried tomatoes, capers and chips.
“We’ll be doing everything fresh, so you’re not going to get your $1.99 breakfast here or anything, but it’s going to be homemade," Gregg said.
Skinny Dogz will have a coffee bar brewing cappuccinos, espressos and lattes, while also offering pastries such as chocolate croissants and apple fritters. Beers and ciders will be served, along with specialty drinks including mimosas and sake-based Bloody Marys.
As for main dishes, look for fresh frittatas and Benedicts. The menu will also offer made-to-order chicken and waffles. Pick your type of waffle, butter and drizzle, to be served with crispy chicken.
For lunch, guests can expect hot dogs, burgers that are just a bit smaller than those at Fat Katz and salads. All dressings and sauces will be made in-house.
Why breakfast and lunch?
Gregg and Krista worked tirelessly to open Fat Katz five years ago. Now that the bistro is a success, they want to relax a bit and spend more time with their two children.
"We didn’t want to open up a second restaurant unless it was just kind of breakfast and lunch, when the kids were at school," Krista said.
Gregg was working 110 hours a week when Fat Katz got started, heading into the kitchen at 4 a.m. to make 200 brioche buns for Fat Katz' famous burgers.
“Our parents would watch the kids and we would come home at 11 o'clock at night and just sit there, crying," Krista said.
They were tears of happiness and also exhaustion, the couple said. The days were long, but they had two things — a great staff and an amazing product.
"People love Fat Katz food," Krista said. "You watch somebody bite into those burgers and they’re like ‘Oh my gosh this is so good.’ I love watching people eat the food because it's just so awesome."
Gregg and Krista look forward to replicating Fat Katz' fresh approach and spending more time with their kids. With the help of a few Fat Katz' kitchen staff and servers, the owners hope Skinny Dogz will do equally well.
"It truly is a family," Gregg said.
What else?
Seats: 50 to 55 seats inside, 40 to 45 seats outside overlooking a lake
Square footage: 2,300
Price range: Most entrees in the $10-$15 range, similar to Fat Katz. Gregg said the place will be "upscale, not uppity, but right in-between."
Drink up: Along with a barista bar for coffee and lattes, Skinny Dogz will start off with six beer taps and three or four ciders. "Everything's going to be rotated," Gregg said. Look for mimosas, sake Bloody Marys and sake screwdrivers.
Most interesting menu item: A skewer with maple-glazed doughnut holes and pork belly
Hours: 7 a.m.-3 p.m. Tuesday to Sunday, closed on Mondays for the summer
Skinny Dogz is at 11970 Fairway Lakes Drive in Gateway; find it on Facebook for more.
Little bites
• Cape Harbour Oyster Bar & Grille opened Sunday in Cape Coral. Find it at 5785 Cape Harbour Drive. Call 599-2947 or visit facebook.com/capeharbouroysterbar for more.
• Zoës Kitchen of Fort Myers held a grand opening June 7 and is open 11 a.m.-9 p.m. daily serving fast-casual Mediterranean cuisine at 6881 Daniels Parkway, south Fort Myers. Call 207-3632 or visit zoeskitchen.com for more.
• Sunshine Seafood Cafe and Wine Bar has reopened on Captiva at 11508 Andy Rosse Lane. Call 472-6200 or visit facebook.com/sunshineseafoodcafe.
Spoondrift gets permanent location
Sanibel's Spoondrift is known for its poke bowls, fresh salads and farmers market appearances. Now the vendor is getting a permanent location at the Bailey's General Store plaza in Sanibel, according to an Instagram post by the company.
Spoondrift previously operated at Sanibel and Captiva farmers markets, selling customized poke bowls in which customers could choose their meat or tofu base along with sticky rice, quinoa or kale. Toppings include edamame, radish, onion, pineapple, cucumber, ginger, garlic and cilantro.
The company has not announced a time frame for opening.
A La Carte is a compilation of news and notes from the Southwest Florida dining scene. Send ideas or suggestions to taste@news-press.com.