Hot South Florida restaurant makes debut in region, starting in Naples

A popular upscale casual South Florida restaurant concept has debuted on the Gulf Coast, with a location in Naples.

Tap 42 Craft Kitchen + Bar opened Aug. 2 in Mercato, a mixed-use development in north Naples. It replaces AZN Azian Cuisine, which had been at the high-end center for some 15 years. The 6,622-square-foot space is on the ground level below Alamo Drafthouse Cinema. 

Alex Rudolph with Tapco Restaurant Group, the company that operates Tap 42, says Naples is “a natural progression” for the brand outside South Florida and Mercato is a “premiere location” in Florida. There are 10 Tap 42’s in the Miami-Dade and Broward areas; the first one opened in Fort Lauderdale in 2011. 

The restaurant is known for its South Florida-esqe architectural vibe, with a design focused around a large bar and comfortable seating. The menu is “elevated contemporary American fare,” according to a statement, with craft beer and handcrafted cocktails. Rudolph, in an interview with the Business Observer, says “we built a very cool, comfortable concept. One of the cool things about the concept is we are in the middle between high-end dining and a lower and sports bar.”

Rudolph says the plan is to continue expanding the brand across the Sunshine State. That includes another Southwest Florida location, which could be announced soon, he says, and possibly the Tampa area. One the Tampa market, he says finding the right location has been a core challenge. “We are really excited about this location,” he says, “and we are set up perfectly to grow in Southwest Florida.”