Q: I hear Zookie’s on Immokalee has been sold and will be converted into an Italian restaurant. Are you hearing anything? — David Reese, Naples
Q: Is it true that Zookie’s bar and grill was sold to The Oasis bar and grill? — Ivan Traverzo, Naples
A: Sonny’s Pizzeria & Sports Bar will be the new name for the longtime Zookie’s Sports Bar & Grill off Immokalee Road in North Naples. Although changes have been noticed during the last two months, the full transition will be official by Valentine’s Day.
Dan Latino, who owns and operates The Oasis in the spot of the original Pelican Larry’s Raw Bar & Grill on Pine Ridge Road, purchased Zookie’s in December from Mark Marzucco, who retired after operating the business for more than 15 years.
“Zookie was Mark’s dad’s nickname and Sonny is my dad’s nickname,” Latino said. “So, I kind of liked the name, plus it went hand in hand. It kind of worked out well.”
With the new name comes a cosmetic rebrand and menu changes, including the addition of Chicago-style pizza, both pan and thin crust. “I’ve got three pizzerias in Chicago, so I’m bringing the recipe down,” he said. “We’re going to do everything from scratch — the dough, the cheese, the sauce, everything. We have some entrees and some classic bar food, as well, but the Chicago pizza is the main focus.”
A Chicago transplant, Latino is a seasoned restaurateur who has many business conversions under his belt in Chicagoland, where he still owns and operates three locations of Easy Street Pizza & Beer Garden, as well as Avenue Tap & Kitchen and Country Club. He previously had plans to renovate the old Break Time Lounge in East Naples, but he sold that building last spring.
Similar to two years ago when he transformed Pelican Larry’s to The Oasis before changing the venue’s name, Latino has been making changes while operating under the existing bar’s name. If permitting occurs as planned, Zookie’s exterior signs will change in early February and the transition to Sonny’s will be completed on Feb. 13, Latino said.
“My plan is to stay open for the Super Bowl [on Sunday, Feb. 9] and then close that Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and then reopen on that Thursday, the 13th,” he said.
So far, Latino has decluttered, cleaned and painted the hospitality endcap at 7740 Preserve Lane, Suite 12. He improved the sound system and has plans to strategically reposition some of the many TVs in the 4,600-square-foot space.
“Once the TVs are changed out and we can redecorate, then I feel like it will be a big change for customers,” he said.
About 75% of the menu is new. The menu includes Italian-American classics but retains some of Zookie’s popular items such as the fish fry.
“We did transition from Mark’s menu to our new menu, so at this point, everything’s made in house now. The only thing that’s frozen on the menu is our French fries,” Latino said. “Everything else, even our cheese sticks, we make in house.”
The response to the menu changes has been positive so far, he said, even among longtime customers who had been accustomed to the old menu.
“We got a lot of really good feedback. People really like our chicken Parmesan,” he said. “We kept some of the items and just tweaked the recipe a little bit, so I feel that kind of took some of the things like the meatball sub and the spaghetti and meatballs up a notch.”
More coming soon
Q: Wingstop? On Immokalee headed toward I-75 by the Dunkin’ across from Laurel Oak there’s a Wingstop sign? Nothing online about one opening up. Does anyone have any info? I’m missing my B-Dubs, so this is the next best thing. — Melodie May, Naples
A: The new area location for the Texas-based Wingstop chain is targeted to open in February at 7740 Preserve Lane, Suite 3, in North Naples. It’s near the western end of the Zookie’s-anchored Bougainvillea Center off Immokalee Road.
“We are actually training our employees at this time,” said Teresa Lerma, district manager of Wingstop. “Everything depends on the permits.”
Although one might think Wingstop would want to rush to launch a new store before the Super Bowl on Feb. 9 to score a bigger portion of the nearly 1.5 billion wings that the National Chicken Council reports Americans consumed during the big game last year, it’s actually just the opposite.
“It’s going to be after [the Super Bowl],” Lerma said. “We don’t want to put our new employees through that.”
In an effort to avoid a frenzied baptism by fryer on Super Bowl Sunday, Lerma is steering patrons to area Wingstop locations also owned by franchisee Raul Torres of Brownsville, Texas.
“We are open at the Radio Road location [in East Naples’ Berkshire Commons] and we have another on Tamiami [in Hitching Post Plaza] and one in Bonita [in Springs Plaza], in case you need fast service,” she said.
Founded in 1994, Wingstop has more than 2,000 locations, including 135 in Florida. The wing-centric restaurant features 14 flavor choices, ranging from plain or mild to Cajun or Atomic.
A little more
The Little Gym also is coming soon next to Wingstop in Bougainvillea Center. The new business at 7740 Preserve Lane, Suite 1, will anchor the western end of the retail center, which recently received an extensive facelift shortly after it was sold for $6.7 million in 2023.
The Little Gym chain, which has more than 400 locations worldwide, offers “serious fun” for children ages 4 months to 12 years through gymnastics programs with movement-based learning and imaginative play, the company reports. The franchise also is popular for hosting birthday parties.
The “Tim Aten Knows” weekly column answers local questions from readers. Email Tim at tim.aten@naplespress.com
