'We create here': Savor every sip, flavor at new south Fort Myers coffee shop

Matt Geiger is ready.

Six months after his cozy cafe made its debut in south Fort Myers, Savour Coffee will host a grand opening Wednesday, Nov. 29.

“We opened quietly at first,” the chef/owner said. “I didn’t want anything big until we had everything together. We’re ready to have people come in and see what we’re all about.”

It starts with the signature drinks made with fresh, locally roasted coffee — from the PNW (espresso, white chocolate, honey, lavender and milk) to the IDK — a fun barista-choice-created specialty drink.

The Savour Sig with espresso, white chocolate, raspberry and macadamia nut was our choice of the day.

“We wanted to create something a little nicer here,” Geiger said. “You know it’s a good product. We’re not slamming out caramel macchiatos unless you like them. Then we’re happy to do those.”

New coffee and food items are featured each month, like the peppermint white mocha and the bacon, eggs and brie with cranberry pear glaze.

And if you’re not a coffee fan, Savour has you covered with energy drinks, BOBA milk and green tea, fraps and more.

Beverages are only half of the story here.

The all-day menu, featuring breakfast and lunch items, is a popular draw.

“Savour is run by chefs so we take extra care in our product,” Geiger said. “Since we started as chefs, we create here and want to do things better.”

The result is familiar items with a twist.

The mango chutney on the Beck, for example, makes this bacon, egg and cheese sandwich on a Kaiser roll stand out.

The BReck, meanwhile, is the Beck with brisket and onion straws added.

“We try to keep the menu items different than average but we don’t want it so different we scare people away,” Geiger said. “Everything is what you’d expect but a little different.”

The creative menu also features Waffle House and skinny mini breakfast bowls, boujee (brie, honey, apple, ham and arugula) and Tuscan turkey sandwiches and ginger sesame and island coconut salads.

We will gladly go back for the banh mi Vietnamese sandwich with marinated grilled pork, pickled daikon and carrot, jalapeno, cilantro, cucumber and five-spice aioli.

Pastry, baked goods, quiche and more are also available.

It’s exactly what you would expect from Geiger who started his catering business — Savour First Choice Catering — four years ago. He always envisioned opening a coffee shop one day.

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It all came together when he found the perfect location for both in Island Park Center on S Tamiami Trail, a few doors down from The Clam Bake and Vincenzo’s Pastaria. His businesses are nestled together in what was once a “Chinese takeout restaurant on one side and a vacant office on the other.”

“Both units were empty for 12 years,” Geiger said. “We had a huge remodel project.”

What he created was a warm, inviting, eclectic coffee shop in the right unit with a black, silver and wood pallet. Grab a seat at a low two-top along the wall, at a high top in the center of the room or at the long, communal table on the left. A reinvented old-school scooter near the counter is an attention-getter.

Without a wall separating the two units, customers get an inside look at a catering kitchen in action.

“You can get the whole experience,” Geiger said. “Come in and see what’s going on in the kitchen. See us preparing everything. We did this to bridge the gap between the customers, employees and chef. It’s all right here.”

Savour Coffee, 16520 S Tamiami Trail, Unit 138, south Fort Myers; open 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday to Friday and 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday; grand opening with ribbon cutting, live music and 25 percent off the entire menu from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 29, (239) 351-5547; savourcoffee.com

Robyn George is a food and dining writer for The Fort Myers News-Press. Send news to rhgeorge@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Savour Coffee offers signature drinks, sandwiches in south Fort Myers