A food truck park and rooftop bar opens this week in downtown Bonita Springs.
As Bonita Springs grows, many residents and visitors have been hoping for more places to eat and drink downtown. Now comes Rooftop at Riverside, a two-story bar and food truck park on Old 41, just across from Riverside Park. More than two years after receiving approval from Bonita Springs City Council, the venue officially opens this week. It features a rooftop bar, six food trucks ranging from seafood to burgers to ice cream, and outdoor games and amusements.
Aaron Thomas of CGT Kayaks is ready to send his customers to Rooftop at Riverside.
“We have the kayak shop in the shop across the street, and the number one thing people ask when they go kayaking is, ‘Where can I go for lunch downtown here?’ So we’re going to be sending over hungry kayakers after they get off the river, to enjoy this beautiful food that we’re eating,” he said.
Charlie Strader of Bonita Springs says he has been asking City Council for something like this for years.
“It’s not that downtown Bonita’s lacking people. It’s not that we need more density. We need more things like this for people to do,” he said.
He cited the success of Downtown Coffee and Wine, also on Old 41, and said that when people have things they can walk to, they will show up.
The only person who did not seem to be having fun was Rick Steinmeyer, the mayor of Bonita Springs. I tried to get him to comment on the new addition to the town he oversees.
“I don’t usually talk to the media,” Steinmeyer said. "Because they lie."
So there you have it. Rooftop at Riverside will be open 11 to 11 weekdays and until midnight on weekends.
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