Best of North Fort Myers winners feted at annual awards presentation
UPDATED: Winners list and photo gallery
Numerous local businesses gathered at the Celebrations Ballroom at Del Tura Plaza Tuesday for the annual Best of North Fort Myers hosted the North Fort Myers Neighbor Living magazine and the Breeze Newspapers.
Winners are selected by the community via on-line and paper ballot voting with residents and readers marking ballots for businesses they consider the best in a wealth of categories — everything from Best Company to Work For to the Best Ice Cream.
The 2025 “Best of” event again included businesses that have earned the recognition many times as well as first timers, from businesses that win multiple awards annually as those who won a singular award for their particular specialty.
Laurie Ragle, advertising director at the Breeze Newspapers, said this is a congratulatory event for those community-selected best businesses.
“It’s a big boost to the businesses that win. They can tell customers they were voted by the public as being the best in the area,” Ragle said. “They can use the award for the promotions they do through ads and marketing to let everyone know.”
Celebrations Ballroom, a venue for everything from corporate events to weddings and quinceaneras, won for Best Event Professional.
Owner Grisel Brewster said she was excited to hold the Best of gala at her business for the first time.
“I’ve been with the Chamber and am familiar with the paper. Someone referred us and we got together. It’s great to have collaborative events like this,” Brewster said. “I wanted to have a place that had flexible event space to host higher-end events at an affordable price point.”
Multi-recognition winners included Brooke’s Restaurant & Lounge and the Nauti Parrot Tiki Hut, each of which won nine awards.
All Superior Auto is among the regular winners, having won a Best of in each of the last four years.
This year the business won four awards, including best Auto Paint & Body. The whole family came out to pick up their awards, decked out and black and gold from head to toe.
“We thank the community for voting for us. We’re honest and trustworthy and always protecting our family and friends,” Christy-Lee Iwanow said. “We like to build a long-term relationship with our customers.”
Matt Payton, owner of Pinch-A-Penny, said it was a team effort that allowed them to earn the Best of award for Swimming Pool Sales & Service.
“We’re going to keep winning and keep growing. We really feel great about this,” Payton said. “I’ve owned the place for 10 years and we’ve grown considerably. We really appreciate this.”
A Soul Awakening made its first trip to the awards worth it, winning in eight categories, including best Woman Owned Business. The business made itself know to the community quickly, being open a little more than a year.
Owner Joyce Rollins, who won for Psychic Medium, said it was exciting to win as much, being a first-year business in the competition.
“There are great businesses and great people out there. To win is amazing,” Rollins said. “We’re always sold out for all our events so our store was doing really well.”
Winner’s list:
Auto
Auto Diesel Repair – All Superior Auto Works
Auto Paint & Body – All Superior Auto Works
Auto Repair – Artic Auto Air & Auto Service
Detailing Service – Noah’s Rain or Shine Detail, LLC
Motorcycle Shop – JrockZ Customs
Oil Change – .Artic Auto Air & Auto Service
Tire Center – Yogi’s Tire Shop
Tire Sales – All Superior Auto Works
Towing Company – Hooked Up Towing
Transmission Service – All Superior Auto Works
Used Car Dealer – Paparazzi Motors
Bars & Beverages
Beer Selection – Brookes Restaurant & Lounge
Coffee – Starbucks
Happy Hour – Nauti Parrot Tiki Hut
Margarita – Nauti Parrot Tiki Hut
Overall Bar – Nauti Parrot Tiki Hut
Place for Cocktails – Nauti Parrot Tiki Hut
Sports Bar – Brookes Restaurant & Lounge
Wine Selection – Nauti Parrot Tiki Hut
Body & Soul
Barber Shop – HQ Barbershop NFM
Body Piercing Shop – Str8line Tat2 & Body Piercing
Day Spa – Kerr’s Design and Spa
Gym – Freedom Fitness
Hair Salon – Full Circle Hair Salon
Massage Therapy – Magic Hands Spa
Medical Intuitive – Greyson Green at A Soul Awakening
Nail Salon – Nail Art
Permanent Make-Up/Cosmetic Tatooing – Klose Colors Tattoo Studio
Psychic Medium – Joyce Rollins at A Soul Awakening
Reiki – Greyson Green at A Soul Awakening
Tanning Services – Spray & Slay
Tattoo Studio – Klose Colors Tattoo Studio
Community
Company to Work for – Nauti Parrot Tiki Hut
Minority-Owned Business – Brookes Nugget Wagon
Non-Profit – Tommy Bohanon Foundation
Organization – North Fort Myers Civic Association
Place of Worship – Grace Baptist Temple
Woman-Owned Business – A Soul Awakening
Entertainment & Travel
Adult Arcade – Vegas Queens
Bait & Tackle – The Bait Station
Bingo – Pondella Bingo
Family Entertainment – Bounce Houses of SWFL
Golf Course – Magnolia Landing Golf & Country Club
Local Band/Musician – Brooks and Gill (Robb Brooks and Tami Gill)
Place to Take an Out-of-Town Guest – Nauti Parrot Tiki Hut
Food & Dining
Barbecue – Smoke’n Pit Bar B Que
Breakfast – Go Go Diner
Pressure-fried Chicken – Steve’s Place
Chinese Restaurant – China King
Chinese Restaurant – Hua Garden
Deli – Publix
Family Dining – Brooke’s Restaurant & Lounge
Fine Dining – Blossom & Brie
Food Truck – Brookes Nugget Wagon
Fries – Brooke’s Restaurant & Lounge
Greek Restaurant – Athenian Restaurant
Hamburger – Brooke’s Restaurant & Lounge
Italian Restaurant – Fatto A Mano
Japanese Restaurant – Hibachi of Japan
Mexican Restaurant – Habaneros
New Restaurant – Blossom & Brie
Overall Restaurant – Brooke’s Restaurant & Lounge
Philly Cheesesteak – Brooke’s Restaurant & Lounge
Pizza – Grandma Penny’s Pizza
Pizza – Pizza Connection
Romantic Dining – Blossom & Brie
Seafood Restaurant – Nauti Parrott Tiki Hut
Steak Dinner – Brooke’s Restaurant & Lounge
Submarine Sandwich – Southern Subs
Sushi – King’s Crab Seafood and Sushi
Thai – Pu Thai Restaurant
Waterfront Restaurant – Nauti Parrot Tiki Hut
Wings – Brooke’s Restaurant & Lounge
Home Services
A/C & Heating Service & Repair- Bakers Heating and Air
Carpet & Tile Cleaning – Trebing Tile
Cleaning Company – Trifecta Home Solutions
Disaster Restoration/Remediation Company – Endy’s Cleaning & Restoration
Electrician (Company) – Florida Sky Electric
Exterminator/Pest Control – The Bug Blasters
Fence Company – Quality Fencing of SWFL
Home Improvement/Remodeling – Trifecta Home Solutions
Landscape Pavers – NativeScapes
Landscaping Company – Gator Lawn & Irrigation LLC
Mobile Home Supplies – Mobile Home Depot
Nursery & Landscaping – Advanced Landscaping Solutions
Painting Service – Gulf Coast Coating
Plumbing Contractor – North Fort Myers Plumbing Inc
Pool Service – Sink or Swim Pool Service
Roofing – Roof EZ
Septic Services – ABC Septic Services
Swimming Pools Sales & Service – Pinch A Penny
Tree Service – Joshua Tree Inc
Windows/Doors/Siding Company – Backwoods Windows and Doors
Kids & Education
Charter School – Northern Palms Charter High School
Daycare – Deana’s Country Kids
Preschool – Deana’s Country Kids
Medical Services
Assisted Living/Memory Care – Volante Senior Living
Chiropractor – Grace Medical & Chiropractic
Dentist – Rasmussen Family Dental
Dispensary – Trulieve
Family Practitioner – MaxHealth
Optometrist/Ophthalmologist – Tyson Eye
Pharmacy – Walgreens
Pharmacy – CVS
Podiatrist – Associates in Medicine & Surgery
Pets
Doggie Day Care/Boarding – Hounds Town USA
Pet Grooming – Hancock Animal Hospital
Pet Supply Store. – CC Feed Store
Veterinarian – North Shore Animal Hospital
Professional Services
Bank – Regions Bank
Boat Services – Don Bomba Mobile Fiberglass
Bookkeeper – Blue Collar Bookkeeper
Caterer/Events – Celebrations Ballroom
Funeral/Cremation Service – Baldwin Brothers Funeral & Cremation Society
Insurance – Commercial – Bassine Insurance
Insurance – Home & Auto – Lee County Insurance Co
Insurance-Health – Kaitlyn Reed with Rocket Health
Laundromat – Bright N Clean Laundromat
Laundry Service – Bright n Clean Laundromat
Manufactured Home Park – Horizon Village Co-Op, Inc.
Mortgage Services – Sean Carter – Movement Mortgage
Printing & Signs – Sign & Design Depot
Psychic Medium – Joyce Rollins at A Soul Awakening
Real Estate Agency – Cre8tive Realty Inc
Realtor – Elizabeth Williamson, PA
RV Park – Swan Lake Village and RV Park
Tarot Reader – Tarot with Sean at A Soul Awakening
Tax Preparation – JT Income Tax
Retail
A/C & Heating Dealer – Ellsworth Heating & Cooling
CBD Store – Sam’s Tobacco & Vapes
Consignment Store – Ditto Consignment Boutique
Flooring Carpet & Tile – Carrousel Carpets
Florist – North Fort Myers Florist
Furniture Store – Crazy Deals Home Superstore
Gift Shop – A Soul Awakening
Golf Cart Dealer – A Custom Carts
Golf/Pro Shop – El Rio Golf Club
Grocery Store – Publix
Gun Shop – American Gold Miner
Honey Farm – Walker Farms
Jewelry Store – A Soul Awakening
Liquor Store – Cheers Liquor and Wine
Pawn Shop – American Gold Miner
Resale – Sweet Pickins Décor Boutique
Smoke Shop – The Treasure Chest
Thrift Store – Habitat for Humanity
Wigs – Lighthouse Wigs
Sweets & Treats
Bakery – Publix
Cookies – Publix
Custom Cake Decorating – Mom of 3 Cakes
Dessert – Wonderland Cookie Dough & Ice Cream
Donuts – Dunkin’
Ice Cream – Daddy Dee’s Ice Cream
To reach CHUCK BALLARO, please email news@breezenewspapers.com