Tovos Grill holds grand opening, hires 75
The new Tovos Grill, located off Pine Island Road in the Wal-Mart Plaza, held a grand opening last week in North Fort Myers, to raves from many customers. Just as important as a successful opening is the fact that the restaurant has hired 75 local individuals, a way to support the local economy, said one owner and several consultants.
“We’re excited to be part of the North Fort Myers community and strengthen our local economy with these hires,” said owner Jay O’Connor.
O’Connor explained how the name Tovos came about.
“We have an owner group, and took the first letter of each last name to come up with the name. They are Rick Technel, myself (Jay O’Connor), Dean Vander Olas, Dan Oberbrunner and Peter Sensenbrenner,” he said.
It is a local, family-owned and operated business, he said.
“I like to think of this restaurant as being owned by all our families.”
The grand opening was technically Monday, Sept. 20, but the owners and consultants they have hired are still working on items like specials and on hosting and promoting charitable endeavors.
The building, on the site of the former Arizona Pizza Company, has a new look inside and out. Now sporting warm, inviting earth tone colors with natural stone columns, the exterior is more than pleasing to the eye.
On staffing, some are returning staff and some new.
Al Gardner is a consultant with A&L Associates and helped develop the new concept. He’s been a long-standing member of the Florida Restaurant Association, and described some of the features on the menu.
He recommends the skillet-roasted mussels that are served with a flair at your table. They are delicious, made with olive oil, garlic and sea salt.
“Concerning the New York-style deli sandwiches, we have a lot of friends from up north that come down and enjoy that,” he said. “Jay and I and several partners spent a day at a state restaurant show in Orlando, to find the authentic New York deli pickle. We finally found the correct one.”
Popular items are the Wall Street prime rib sandwich and the Park Avenue reuben.
Homestyle-comfort foods are served after 4 p.m., with a variety including homestyle meatloaf, shepherd’s pie and prime rib – noted as “Our House Specialty” on the menu.
Something that sets the restaurant apart, Gardner said, is certified Angus beef.
“In the immediate area we are the only one serving certified Angus beef,” he said. “It’s the top of the pyramid of beef. To be able to serve it you need to go though an interview process. They interview the chef and inspect the kitchen. It is a very stringent process.”
Pizza is another offering, but not just your ordinary pizza.
“Our dough is made fresh daily with the highest quality ingredients and the highest quality mozzarella cheese.”
The dough is specially made and they offer a “signature crust.”
“Regardless of what pizza you order, you can upgrade to the signature crust,” he said.
They sport a Tovos Signature Pizza, topped with arugala, tomatoes, onions, mushrooms and aged shredded parmesan. There are numerous pizza offerings.
There are also hot paninins, soups and salads.
“Desserts are a point of difference for us,” Gardner said. “We’re taking a different approach, with high-impact flavors.”
The cheesecake is the authentic New York-style – you can taste the difference – and the variety includes an “Opera Slice” – a square with four different fillings.
Concerning the layout of the building, an outside verandah area has a state-of-the-art misting system.
“It lowers the temperature 15 to 20 degrees,” Gardner said.
They will be featuring entertainment there soon.
Specials now include Happy Hour from 2 to 7 p.m. on two for one drinks.
“That includes premium liquors and wine.”
There is space available within the restaurant to host special events, and they will soon begin promoting a “Charity of the Week,” where a percentage of proceeds will benefit a non profit or charitable organization.
“We are also developing Early Bird Specials to be served 4 to 6 p.m.”
Curb service is also available. You can call ahead to order, and several parking spaces have been designated for the service.
Hours for the Tovos Wood Fired Oven Grill are 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Sunday through Thursday, and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Friday and Saturday. The formal address for Tovos is 547 Pine Island and the phone number is 656-1388.