New dining concept brings 3 restaurants, a dessert lab and beer wall to Bonita Springs

Ken Delaney had the perfect spot.

When the pandemic hit and everyone began working from home, the software company owner had vacant office space on Old 41 Road in Bonita Springs. It was complete with shipping container conference rooms, an industrial vibe and so much room.

Then came an idea.

“My son said, ‘Why not do a bar and restaurant?’” Delaney said. “So we started figuring it out three years ago. We went to  Armature Works in Tampa and a place in Lakeland for ideas. Places like that only we’re a smaller scale.”

And that’s how The Causeway came to be. It opened on Dec. 7.

The restaurant’s name is a nod to the building’s past.

“It was built in 1978 and was called Causeway Lumber,” Delaney said. “It was here through 2009. The building became dilapidated and was falling down.”

Delaney became involved after his friend purchased the property in what is now Causeway Commerce Park.

Technically, the concept can be described as a food hall and bar but that doesn’t quite give it justice.

“It’s unique,” said Delaney, who is one of the co-owners. “It’s so hard to pin down.”

Let’s start with the L-shaped bar, which is large, roomy, inviting and separated from the open kitchen area. Light floods in when the overhead door is open, giving customers a clear view of the outdoor patio area.

More beer can be found in the attention-grabbing beer wall, made from one of Delaney’s shipping containers. Twenty self-serve taps run along its front with pint glasses lined up and waiting on either end.

“We’re trying to give every Florida brewing company a chance to be on our brew wall,” Delaney said. “So they will rotate. We will keep a lot from Fort Myers Brewing and Palm City.”

Patrons are given wristbands that record self-pours charged by the ounce.

Three restaurants, one roof

Food-wise, three distinct restaurants and a dessert area can be found under The Causeway’s roof. Table service allows you to order from one or all without leaving your seat.

Italian favorites including pizza (from pepperoni to wild mushroom to Peking duck), pasta (think carbonara pasta, tomato and pancetta gnocchi and vodka rigatoni pasta), antipasto and hummus and flat bread boards and salads come from Orzo.

British fare and international street foods come out of Smithy’s kitchen.

“Carl Smith is behind that,” Delaney said. “His fish & chips are really popular. They’re the real deal. Carl’s from England and is known around here for his food truck The Brit Pit. His steak frites are going well too.”

In addition to the shepherds and steak pies, you’ll find gyros, tacos and even Thai peanut curry.

Roast rounds out the restaurants with its deli offerings. Peanut chicken banh mi, sausage and bacon panini, sweet chili chicken wrap and pastrami, crab and steak sandwiches are just the beginning.

“The Mexican club sandwich is selling well,” Delaney said. “Most of what we serve here is homemade.”

Save room for dessert

Dessert Lab, meanwhile, puts out some serious milkshakes with birthday cake, cereal explosion and peanut butter brownie madness to name a few. Those milkshakes and the ice cream sundaes can be delivered to your table. Dessert Lab’s other items ― doughnuts, cookies, brownies, cupcakes, turnovers and more — are ordered at the counter.

The Causeway couldn’t have a more industrial feel, from the ductwork above to the finished concrete floor below. Chains attached to the completely black, high ceiling support unfinished wood pallets that hold the ropes with drop lighting. Wine glasses hang from and bottles rest upon more pallets above the bar. Metal and wood abound, as do shades of black and gray. Yet it’s all bright and airy thanks to large banks of windows dominating the perimeter.

Seating options (152 inside and 80-plus outside) are as plentiful as the menu items. Sit inside at low tables scattered in the middle of the three restaurants for a first-hand look into the open kitchens or head to the left for high tops. Or head past that beer wall for high tops in the bar area and back dining room. Or sit outside at a picnic table on the patio and look out or back in.

More: Newest of the new: 7 restaurants that opened in December, from Cape Coral to Bonita Springs

Wherever you sit in The Causeway is comfortable and casual.

“And it’s been getting busy,” Delaney said. “Especially at night. The beer wall is our highest seller so far.”

The Causeway, 28280 Old 41 Road, Unit 1, Bonita Springs, (239) 431-4912, open for lunch and dinner, follow on Facebook.

Robyn George is a food and dining writer for The Fort Myers News-Press. Send news to [email protected].

This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: The Causeway opens in Bonita with 3 restaurants, a beer wall, desserts