Popular Cape Coral pub & wine bar to close its doors for now. Where, when will it return?

It’s time for Naomi Biber and Ryan Lay to move on.

Well, sort of.

The couple will close the doors of Palace Pub & Wine Bar for the final time on April 20, two months shy of the fifth anniversary of their Cape Coral business.

“We just kind of decided it was time,” Biber said. “We felt like this was the right moment to cut ties with it.”

When they first opened in the 3,000-square-foot unit next to No. 3 Craft Brews in Big John’s Plaza on June 14, 2019, they envisioned it as more of a music and event space.

“Over the years, especially during COVID, we realized we care about wine education, about the wine producers we travel to visit every year,” Biber said. “We realized this space is just too big.”

And here’s where the good news comes in.

Palace Pub will eventually reopen in a new location.

“It will be the same, except in a 900-square-foot space,” Biber said. “We want to focus on wine and the wine shop and not so much on the music. It’ll be smaller, cozier.”

Biber wasn’t ready to reveal exactly where this new spot will be, but said it’s "within a five-minute walk.”

“It’s in this neighborhood,” she said. “It will make sense when you know. I think everyone will be very happy with it.”

When it does reopen, “by the end of the year hopefully,” there will be a comfortable bar and wine shop.

Wine will again come by the glass (between $9-$12) or the bottle ($15-$55) which can be purchased to consume there or brought home.

“We really focus on small producers, making wine from all over the world,” Biber said. “It’s farmed organically or biodynamically, not in a factory.”

There will still be a selection of craft beer and no liquor or food.

“And the pool table won’t be coming,” Biber said. “It won’t fit. I’m sad about that and I don’t even play. I just like how it looks.”

The signature L-shaped bar top, comprised of hundreds of corks, may or may not be making the move either.

“We will have to see about that,” Biber said. “We’ll have to figure it out.”

Palace Pub is the first business for the couple who grew up in the area, working in the hospitality industry.

They contemplated leaving — her family is from Austria — but ultimately decided against it.

“We had to pitch our business to (plaza owner and landlord) Elmer Tabor before we got this space,” she said. “He told us it was the first time he saw young people stay in the Cape. He was a huge mentor  for us.”

They got the lease and built out what was previously a gym that also included Tropical Furniture Gallery next door.

“I’ll miss this space,” said Biber, “but I feel like we’ve made peace with it. It was a very good first business venture for us.”

After they close on April 20 “with a party from noon to midnight with food and music,” the couple will head to Europe for a bit.

“We will take a break, visit some wineries and stay with winemakers,” Biber said.

Then it will be back here to work on the new Palace Pub.

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“It’s just empty right now,” Biber said. “We will have to build it out. It’ll seem like a short time to customers, but a long time to us.”

The new place will be open 4 p.m. to midnight Tuesday to Saturday, instead of just being closed Sunday like it is now.

“We spent months going back and forth about what we were going to do,” Biber said. “We’ve learned a lot about what we would have done differently. It’ll be nice, this move. We’re excited about what’s coming.”

Palace Pub & Wine Bar, 1317 Cape Coral Parkway E, Cape Coral; open 4 p.m. to midnight Monday to Saturday until April 20; follow along on Instagram and Facebook for the latest on the going away for now bash; (239) 691-6500; palacepubandwine.com

Robyn George is a food and dining reporter for The News-Press. Connect at [email protected]

This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Palace Pub & Wine Bar in downtown Cape Coral to close later this month