Mellow Mushroom gets opening date in Cape Coral. Construction starts soon.

After two years, Cape Coral’s long-planned Mellow Mushroom is finally set to start construction on Pine Island Road.

Groundbreaking on the pizza restaurant ― the first Mellow Mushroom in the Cape ― could happen by Oct. 17, says franchise owner Chris Scuderi, who also owns the neighboring Gator Mike's Family Fun Park. The shell of the building could be up by early January.

If all goes well, Scuderi says, the restaurant will open by May 20, 2024 ― the date chosen by the Mellow Mushroom chain's corporate office. Although weather and other issues could possibly delay that.

Scuderi says he’s excited to see the restaurant finally starting to take shape after two years of delays cause by permitting, Hurricane Ian and more.

“I’m not frustrated, but there were many points where we just didn’t know if it was gonna happen,” he says. “There were a lot of hurdles, but we overcame them.

“I’m very thankful for Mellow Mushroom’s patience with me. I believe in this project. I think this is a great addition to the city and especially what I’m building at Gator Mike’s.”

The Cape restaurant will be the third Mellow Mushroom in Southwest Florida. The other two locations are in Estero and south Fort Myers. Atlanta-based Mellow Mushroom has more than 170 locations throughout the U.S.

Mellow Mushroom in Cape Coral: Fun vibes, funky pizzas

The restaurant will be located on a 5-acre parcel just east of Scuderi’s Gator Mike’s Family Fun Park. And while it’s a separate business, Scuderi sees Mellow Mushroom as being closely connected with the fun park.

The popular restaurant chain is known for its fun vibe, funky pizzas and hippie-inspired décor. Scuderi thinks it’ll fit well with his various attractions at Gator Mike’s, including Dinosaur Falls Mini Golf, a ropes course and the annual Frightmare on 78 haunted walk.

“It’s unique,” he says about Mellow Mushroom. “It’s a visual experience. It’s family friendly. I think of it as craft pizza.”

The restaurant also has an “interesting, unique” drink menu, including 24 different types of beer, he adds. “It’ll be an experience for everyone who enters the restaurant.”

Mellow Mushroom’s front door will be about 50 feet from Dinosaur Falls Mini Golf, he says, and diners will be able to see the golf course’s erupting volcano from the restaurant. So he expects many of them to also visit Gator Mike’s.

“They’ll make an event out of it,” he says.

Mellow Mushroom: What happens next for the Cape Coral restaurant

Scuderi announced the $6 million project in 2021 and had hoped to open it by summer 2022. The project was initially set to cost $4 million, but he says construction costs have gone up since then.

After groundbreaking happens later this month, construction equipment will arrive a week or two later.

“Once that happens, it moves pretty quick,” Scuderi says. “They’ll clear land in two to three weeks. ... They'll start putting in the pipes and plumbing.

“And then I think the plan is to go vertical ― to start going up in the air with the building ― by mid-November, probably just before Thanksgiving.”

The approximately 5,800-square-foot restaurant will have 184 seats ― 60 outside and 124 inside. Scuderi expects to employ 60-65 people.

“We estimate about 200,000 guests a year,” he says.

Scuderi has been steadily renovating and upgrading the former Greenwell’s Bat-A-Ball & Family Fun Park since buying the property in 2019. He’s added zip lines, an aerial park, a rock-climbing wall, dinosaur mini golf and more.

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Then, in March 2021, he bought another 5 acres to the east of his 10-acre Gator Mike’s property. The Mellow Mushroom will be on part of that property.

Charles Runnells is an arts and entertainment reporter for The News-Press and the Naples Daily News. To reach him, call 239-335-0368 (for tickets to shows, call the venue) or email him at crunnells@gannett.com. Follow or message him on social media: Facebook (facebook.com/charles.runnells.7), X (formerly Twitter) (@charlesrunnells), Threads (@crunnells1) and Instagram (@crunnells1).

This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Cape Coral's Mellow Mushroom: Construction to start near Gator Mike's