Naples restaurant closing after 34 years, last day is May 31
It's one of the only Naples restaurants where you could come as you are, even straight from the beach.
A treasure trove of Naples nostalgia covered nearly every inch of space, even the restrooms.
Tabletop pickle jars.
Gator tots.
Damn fine burgers; its signature “Naples Pier” burger scored a coveted slot in JLB’s best burgers in 2023.
It’s all ending May 31 when Old Naples Pub closes its doors.
“The current owners elected to retire, so that's how this whole thing came to an end,” said Joan Tobin of Neapolitan Enterprises; her company is the landlord for many Third Street South businesses.
The restaurant was founded in 1990 by Donald Flock, who died in 2014, and Stephen Briggs, who remained a partner until his death in September 2022.
Restaurant ownership was a later-in-life career for both. Flock was an architect, and Briggs was an engineer turned entrepreneur.
Other partners included Flock's son Tim and Kent Schooley.
“It was wonderful to work with them through the decades,” said Tobin.
According to NDN’s archives, Aisling Swift wrote that Briggs met Flock in 1979, “when there weren’t many places in Naples or Fifth Avenue South to eat.”
More: Donald Flock's obituary
“His idea was to have a place in Naples we could all enjoy,” Briggs said in 2014.
The two were also partners at its sister Village Pub restaurant in Venetian Village, which opened in 1995.
According to Old Naples Pub’s website, both restaurants are managed by Chicago-based Bottleneck Management, which operates seven corporate restaurant brands, and doesn't feature either pub on its website.
Neapolitan Enterprises hasn’t decided on the Pub’s replacement.
This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: Why is Old Naples Pub closing after 34 years?
