$20M Fort Myers Beach portfolio, including restaurant, listed for sale

Bonita Bill's Waterfront Café on Fort Myers Beach is up for sale as part of $20 million real estate portfolio that’s just been listed.

The eatery is a piece of a large portfolio of properties that has been put on the market by SVN Commercial Partners. The Semmer Family portfolio includes residences, a self-storage facility and a marina along with Bonita Bill’s and all are on the water.

In a statement, SVN says “this assemblage potentially represents the largest usable waterfront portfolio in Lee County.”

The company also says what many residents have feared since Hurricane Ian destroyed much of Fort Myer Beach in 2022: Selling off these and other properties will permanently change the face of the beach town.

The five properties, SVN says in the statement, “each (are) uniquely positioned to leverage Fort Myers Beach's dynamic revitalization, offering unparalleled potential for investors."

Bill Semmer, according to a history of the restaurant on its website, bought the restaurant’s property in 1991 and opened Bonita Bill’s.

At the beginning it was a concession stand that sold popcorn and beer. It grew though and soon became “a local gem and popular tourist destination where we still live by Bill’s words, ‘No Shirt?, No Shoes?, Can we get you a beer?’”

But it, like much of Fort Myers Beach, suffered extensive damage during Ian in 2022 with, according to the website, "the storm surge making its way to the ceiling, the docks being battered to oblivion, and boats still stuck in the marina.

“We are lucky to say we are still here. We survived.”

Semmer, though, was diagnosed with cancer in late 2022. He died the following January.

The restaurant reopened a couple of months later in March.

The properties in the Semmer Family portfolio listed for sale, which people can bid on individually, are:

• Bonita Bill's — restaurant, lot and multi-use building: Situated at Fisherman’s Wharf on San Carlos Island, it’s made up of four contiguous properties including the turnkey restaurant operations with boat access. The deadline for offers is July 26. 
• The Marina on Main: The property is on Main Street and includes recently rebuilt docks and proximity to waterfront dining. The property is zoned Light Industrial and Industrial Marine, with a future land use designation of Industrial. The deadline for offers is July 26.
• Commercial storage and docks: Situated on Seaside Drive, this property includes commercial boat access and on-site outdoor storage across two parcels totaling 0.96 acres. The property is zoned Marine Industrial and Agricultural, with future land use designated as Industrial and Urban Community. The deadline for offers is July 19.
• Self storage, industrial warehouse: Located at 830 and 890 Buttonwood Drive. the three self-storage buildings are zoned Industrial and provide secure storage options. The deadline for offers is July 19.
• Residential on San Carlos Island: 830 Oak St., 845 Oak St., 853 Oak St., 37 Nancy Lane and 1540 Main St. The deadline for offers was July 12.

SVN Commercial Partners' Lauri Albion, John Albion and Tiffany Luongo are representing the sellers.