Sweet Melissa's Restaurant celebrates ribbon cutting with Greater Fort Myers and San-Cap Chambers

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James Beard-nominated chef marks new chapter for the Fort Myers dining destination

FORT MYERS, Fla. - Rezul -- Sweet Melissa's Restaurant celebrated a milestone moment Thursday, Aug. 6, hosting a ribbon-cutting ceremony in partnership with the Greater Fort Myers and Sanibel-Captiva Chamber of Commerce. The event celebrates the restaurant's relocation from Sanibel to Fort Myers following Hurricane Ian.

A proud member of the regional business community, Sweet Melissa's welcomed local leaders and chamber members to experience the chef-driven, farm-to-table dining destination firsthand.  The afternoon program featured remarks from John Lai, president and CEO of the Greater Fort Myers and Sanibel-Captiva Chamber of Commerce, and Nancy Macphee, destination development manager of the Lee County Visitor & Convention Bureau, followed by Executive Chef Melissa Donahue and Executive Sous Chef Thomas Juneau. Guests sampled bites from the restaurant's seasonal menu before the ceremonial ribbon cutting.

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"Sanibel is where this all started, and losing that building was like losing a piece of our family," said Melissa Donahue, executive chef and owner, Sweet Melissa's Restaurant. "Reopening in Fort Myers wasn't something we did alone — our guests followed us here, our team stayed with us, and this community made room for us. Cutting this ribbon isn't just about a restaurant opening its doors. It's about everyone who helped us get back on our feet."

Sweet Melissa's built its reputation over more than a decade on Sanibel Island before Hurricane Ian destroyed the original location in 2022. Donahue reopened in Fort Myers in the spring of 2025, where she continues to craft seasonal, ingredient-forward menus alongside Juneau and Sommelier/Mixologist Kevin O'Malley.

"What happened to Sweet Melissa's happened to so many of our members — you build something for a decade and a storm takes it in a single night," said John Lai, president and CEO, Greater Fort Myers and Sanibel-Captiva Chamber of Commerce. "The remarkable thing about this region isn't that we got hit. It's that businesses like this one found a way to come back. Melissa's return is a reminder of what Southwest Florida is made of."

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The restaurant has been recognized by Gulfshore Life magazine and the News-Press, and Donahue appeared on Food Network's Beat Bobby Flay in 2024.

Sweet Melissa's continues its summer programming with the launch of its wine dinner series, "A Culinary Trip Around the World," along with a nightly three-course prix fixe menu. For more information or to make a reservation, visit SweetMelissasRestaurant.com (https://www.sweetmelissasrestaurant.com/) or call 239-990-6889.

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Source: Sweet Melissa's Restaurant
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