There’s a secret sauce added to each and every dish at Lake Park Diner, a special recipe that will be rolled out in a new location next year in Bonita Springs and two more locations soon after.
The fast-casual restaurant concept, created by the late Adam Smith, brings from-scratch food created with consciously-grown ingredients. Since it opened three years ago, Lake Park Diner gained a tremendous ally and decorated worldwide restaurateur, Paul Fleming, who invested in the restaurant shortly after its opening and plans to expand the concept throughout Florida.
The secret ingredients? Loyalty to the ideals of the brand, a deep respect for peers, and a shared belief in growth for the concept. The “modern diner” brand is all about fresh flavors and high-quality ingredients with a health-conscious vision.
The kitchen is led by Chef Carlos Sanz, a Florida native with an impressive pedigree including executive roles with Fleming’s Steakhouse and Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse. “One of our most popular dishes is the Miso Salmon served atop roasted sweet potatoes, kale & pepita cilantro pesto. We partnered with Sixty South, a sustainable aqua farm in Antarctica to provide high-quality, healthy salmon for the restaurants.” Not to be overlooked are the dessert options at Lake Park Diner. “We’ve long been recognized for our Super Shakes, they’re a perfect way to end your meal at the diner! We again looked to partner with a vendor who shares our values and were fortunate to find Royal Scoop could supply our restaurants in Naples & Bonita Springs” says Sanz.
Long before she joined the team as president of Paul Fleming Restaurants, Naples resident Colleen Dunavan was a fan. “The menu truly appeals to a broad market and there aren’t many restaurant concepts that succeed with that,” she says. “Lake Park Diner has managed to be successful in offering both healthy items and more indulgent options while creating a bit of a cult following. So much so that when we announced the new Bonita Beach location, we encountered numerous excited guests from that area who were already driving down to dine with us here in Naples.”
Elena M. Griffin is the Director of Marketing for Paul Fleming Restaurants and is constantly evaluating trends and working alongside the team to ensure community efforts, marketing and advertising needs complement the counter-service restaurant, “We source the best, most sustainable and organic products when possible, to meet the standard for our menu. We're here to make a statement and carve a foundation that future restaurants and diners can follow,” she says.
There’s a certain “feel” you get when you approach the entrance to Lake Park Diner and guests notice it. “Our staff is always smiling, you’ll hear the faint musical background of The Beatles or Van Morrison as the bustling crowd of guests cue up to order and our staff quickly delivers food to the tables”, Operating Partner, Kevin Kazmerik explains. “It’s a respite from a busy Monday, it’s a memorable dinner with family on the open-air patio, it’s an easy solution for takeout dinner after a long day. We wanted to make Lake Park inviting, and we feel we did just that.”
The caring continues as the founder’s legacy is honored. Many will notice the bright red phone booth imported from Smith’s country, the United Kingdom, and his children’s names carved in the concrete next to it. And what better way to honor its roots than featuring a traditional dish and Smith’s favorite, Fish and Chips, dubbed “Adam’s Fish and Chips” with a dollar from every entree sold donated to the Dana Farber Foundation – a cancer institute that helped Adam in his battle with cancer.
Lake Park Diner
Eat-in, patio dining, carry-out and (NEW) catering
944 7th Avenue North
Naples, FL 34102
239.228.6351
LakeParkDiner.com