The rebuilt Jaycee Park at 4215 SE 20th Place has a 5,000-square-foot splash pad, a boardwalk overlook on the Caloosahatchee, two playgrounds, a bandshell and five pavilions. Near the food truck pads sits a 1,100-square-foot building the city calls the Bistro. The city's construction updates report that the Bistro's roof and stucco are finished. Inside the shell there is planned space for storage, a cooler and three public restrooms, and nobody is behind the counter.
Two operator deals for that building have already fallen through. On October 5, 2026, the City of Cape Coral opened a new solicitation for someone to finish and run it. The new document describes a smaller, cheaper and more clearly defined business than the two earlier efforts, and it shows what the city now expects the Bistro to be: a place to buy a drink or an ice cream while the food trucks do the cooking.
The first operator never paid for the building
The Bistro was part of the park plan from the start. The Cape Coral Breeze reported that the original concept from January 2023 included a bistro and a food truck area. Fortress Secured submitted an unsolicited public-private partnership proposal that November, and its concession agreement was signed in September 2024.
The city ended that agreement after the operator missed a financial commitment due March 31, 2025. By then construction had stopped at the foundation and exterior walls. The city then put in more than $1 million of its own to finish the design and build the shell that stands there today.
That $1 million shapes everything that came next. Each later negotiation has partly been about how much of it an operator would pay back.
The second operator wanted more than a snack bar
The city issued a request for proposals on December 12, 2025, and closed it January 13, 2026. It received one responsive proposal, from Kearns Restaurant Group. Gulf Coast News described the group as the team behind The Boathouse at the Yacht Club. At the February 25 meeting, the Breeze reported, City Council sent the staff-negotiated term sheet back for more work rather than approving it. Some members criticized the proposed 20-year term with a 10-year renewal, and Council wanted the City Attorney involved.
Talks went on into the spring. On May 25, the Breeze reported that Council had asked staff to revise the draft agreement and was generally favorable to the terms presented. Twelve days later the deal was over. Council did not reject it. Kearns Restaurant Group withdrew.
In a June 6 letter to Council, the city manager and the city attorney, published in full by the Breeze, Zak Kearns said the opportunity "does not align with the investment, operational commitment, and risk required to move forward." His letter gave four reasons, and each one says something about the park itself:
- Programming. The park's events approach was "still evolving," so much of the work of drawing visitors would fall on the concessionaire.
- Parking. The letter said "the existing 126 on-site spaces may be insufficient during peak demand generated by the park's amenities and a restaurant/bar operation," and pointed to the grand opening as evidence.
- Money. He estimated the operator would need to put in more than $2 million across acquisition, buildout, a liquor license, rent and operating costs, on a facility with a smaller footprint, no construction credit and a business that depends on the weather.
- The boat dock. A dock would draw visitors by water, but the uncertain approval and construction timeline made the return hard to judge.
Kearns closed on a supportive note. He described himself as "a long-term resident, business owner, and property owner in Cape Coral" who remains "supportive of efforts to create a successful outcome for Jaycee Park and the community it serves."
The most telling response came from District 1 Councilmember Bill Steinke, who told the Breeze by email that the two sides had different goals:
"We never intended for there to be a restaurant and bar there, just an oasis for the park goers to compliment the food trucks."
A summer of borrowed food trucks
Council was on its summer break when Kearns withdrew. When members returned, they looked for a stopgap. The Breeze reported on July 30 that Council directed staff to find short-term vendors while the city kept looking for a permanent concessionaire, and Mayor John Gunter suggested short commitments of around 30 days.
Starting August 14, the city brought in a food truck, a drink truck and a dessert truck on Friday through Sunday during park hours. The city's announcement said the rotation would continue "through September." WINK News listed the first lineup as Dawg Pound, serving hot dogs, burgers, chicken tenders, corn dogs, fries and vegan options, along with Lemonade Splash and Happy Ice Cream by P3pillos Family.
So far the city has not announced an extension or an October lineup. Calling ahead or checking the city's channels before a weekend visit is the safest way to find out whether trucks will be there.
The summer setup is close to what the city now wants to make permanent: one savory truck, one drink truck, one dessert truck, families eating at picnic tables. The October solicitation turns that into a 15-year business.
What the new solicitation asks for
Solicitation 2026-RFP-CM-068-KR is on the city's OpenGov procurement portal. Questions are due October 20 at 2 p.m. and proposals November 5 at 2 p.m. Eastern. The scope reads like Steinke's "oasis" put into a contract.
The Bistro is designed with beverage service on one side and ice cream or similar products on the other. The document says "there is no cooking equipment in the Bistro as all food sales are expected to be provided by the food trucks," and the only cooking it allows is a ventless rapid-cook oven such as a TurboChef Bullet for "niche food offerings." Its sample equipment list includes an ice cream dipping cabinet, a slushy machine and a margarita machine.
The operator would also run the food truck court. There are six pads with electric, city water, sewer and grease traps, and generators are not allowed. The operator picks the trucks, writes their leases, checks their permits, tracks every sale through one point-of-sale system and is asked to "identify opportunities for family-friendly pricing."
Several other details describe what a visit could look like once someone signs:
- Alcohol stays in one place. The concession area is a "Wet Zone." The rest of the park is a "Dry Zone," and the City Manager can expand the wet area for special events.
- Games and a small stage. The concession area has 16 six-seat tables with umbrellas, two cornhole lanes, a pool table, two shuffleboard tables and a 256-square-foot bandshell pavilion the operator can use for entertainment.
- Retail is allowed. The operator may sell hats, apparel, art, crafts, artisanal food and flowers from a retail pavilion.
- Hours are capped. The concession can open no earlier than 8 a.m. and must close by 9 p.m. daily, with holiday or event exceptions subject to approval. The park itself is open sunrise to 9 p.m.
The terms got smaller, too
The concept shrank, and so did the financial ask. The new figures are minimums, and the solicitation encourages proposers to offer more. Even so, the starting point differs from the Kearns package Council sent back in February.
| Term | Kearns package, February 2026 | October 2026 solicitation minimum |
|---|---|---|
| Length | 20 years plus a 10-year renewal | 15 years plus one 5-year renewal |
| Guaranteed payment | $75,000 per year | $2,500 per month, or $30,000 per year |
| Share of gross receipts | 4%, rising to 5.5% in an optional renewal | At least 4% |
| Toward the city's shell cost | $1,064,876 plus interest over 20 years | A percentage of the $1 million investment, any amount above zero |
| Operator buildout | Part of a total Kearns estimated at over $2 million | Estimated at $400,000 to $600,000 |
The buildout estimate is the clearest signal. A finish-out of $400,000 to $600,000 for an ice cream and beverage counter is a different business from the restaurant and bar that Kearns priced with a liquor license and rent. The city has lowered the minimum annual guarantee by more than half and shortened the term to match a smaller operation.
What the solicitation does not fix
Two of Kearns's concerns still apply. The solicitation lists 128 parking spaces, two more than the letter's count, but the lot is effectively the same size. At opening, WINK reported that neighbors were watching how the city would handle crowds, parking, noise and special events, and that some visitors wanted more shade over the hot turf.
The docks also have no date. Phase II would add 24 boat slips for day docking only, and the solicitation says Council recently approved moving ahead with final design and permitting. No construction schedule has been published, so whoever wins this contract will start with customers who arrive by car.
A business built around trucks and ice cream depends less on parking turnover and boat traffic than a sit-down restaurant would. Smaller margins also leave less room when a summer storm empties the lawn.
Until November 5
The park is open, and the parts that do not depend on the Bistro are finished. The splash pad, boardwalk, playgrounds and bandshell are all available from sunrise to 9 p.m. Fishing is not allowed. For more of the riverfront this month, the city's Sunset Fest runs October 21 from 4 to 7 p.m. at Four Freedoms Park, 4818 Tarpon Court, with live music and food trucks. Trunk-or-Treat is October 23 from 5 to 9 p.m. at City Hall, with a drone show at 8:30.
Kelsey Reed in city procurement is the listed contact for the solicitation. Once proposals are in on November 5, the city will know whether anyone wants the smaller version of the Bistro.
I live and work in Southwest Florida, and I follow how public places like Jaycee Park take shape because they are part of everyday life in the South Cape. If you have questions about what is changing along the Cape Coral riverfront, Dr. Frank Dittschar is glad to talk it through. Let's Connect.
This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Consult a qualified professional about your situation.
