'It's so surreal': Popular Fort Myers Beach restaurant won't reopen, land put up for sale

Robyn George, Fort Myers News-Press
·3 min read

After four-plus decades on Fort Myers Beach, the popular Greek restaurant Plaka on the Beach has permanently closed.

“It’s hard,” said Dimitrios Neskes, who co-owns the restaurant and land with his and the Maillakakis families. “Between the two business partners, this is for the best.”

Their restaurant and all of Times Square were washed away by storm surge from Category 4 Hurricane Ian on Sept. 28, 2022. Plaka had just passed the 42-year mark on Fort Myers Beach when Ian came through.

“It’s so surreal,” said Neskes, whose father opened the restaurant in 1981 and bought the land a few years later. “You go down there and think your restaurant will be there but it’s gone.”

The casual, vibrant restaurant served breakfast, lunch and dinner. It was a popular sunset and people-watching spot for locals and tourists alike, whether grabbing a quick bite or having dinner and drinks.

The two families are selling the land their beloved Plaka stood on.

“We own the land together,” Neskes said on Wednesday afternoon. “We have to sell the land. Insurance is not enough to even attempt to rebuild. It’s hard for us small guys. We are going to see what happens. It’s only been on the market two days.”

Coldwell Banker Realty has the 0.0744 acres of premium commercial land at 1001 Estero Blvd. listed "as is where is" for $4,295,000.

Neskes said relocating could be an option at some point.

“We would have to try to figure out where to buy land and invest,” he said. “Estero, Babcock Ranch have decent land prices for now.”

A shell with "Fl Strong" written on it was placed on a beer bottle at Times Square on Fort Myers Beach. Businesses in the area, including Plaka on the Beach, were washed away by Hurricane Ian.
A shell with "Fl Strong" written on it was placed on a beer bottle at Times Square on Fort Myers Beach. Businesses in the area, including Plaka on the Beach, were washed away by Hurricane Ian.

Nomiki's Plakka still open in Fort Myers

In 1991, Neskes and his family opened Nomiki’s Plakka Greek Restaurant in Bridge Plaza on McGregor Boulevard just south of College Parkway in Fort Myers.

“We still have this,” he said. “This is more traditional than Plaka. There was more Americanized with breakfast, chicken wings and things like that. They had to get the beach crowd. Here we have authentic Greek food and don’t waiver from that.”

Now open: Fort Myers Beach restaurant damaged from Hurricane Ian brings beach vibe to Bell Tower

Neskes is also getting into the food truck business and has one being built and on the way from Texas.

“Once it comes in, I’ll give it a month and it will be ready,” Neskes said. “I don’t want to lose the name we’ve built. It will be solid Greek food, sandwiches, salads. Some of it will have a twist like Greek hamburgers.”

Neskes said he wants to do events, festivals and the like once the food truck — which “is big and ostentatious, but I like it” — arrives. He’s still in the learning process and figuring it all out.

“By the time I get (the food truck), who knows what will happen,” he said. “I think it has a lot of potential. I might put it on the beach because I still want to be down there.”

Nomiki’s Plakka Greek Restaurant, 12901 McGregor Blvd., Fort Myers; (239) 433-5659; follow on Facebook

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: 'It's so surreal': Plaka on the Beach won't reopen on Fort Myers Beach