Ichabod's taking over Dwyer's

Ichabod the troll is about to be set loose in south Fort Myers.

His boss, Rob De Gennaro of Sanibel, will be using Ichabod to spread the word about a new and casual family-style tavern restaurant moving into the Dwyer's building on U.S. 41 in November.

The restaurant will be called Ichabod's Wicked Food & Drink.

"I'm taking the Dwyer's formal pub and turning it into a new concept. A casual menu where you don't need to spend a lot of money to have good food," said Gennaro, who has owned restaurants in Southwest Florida in the past. "It's gonna be a fantastic menu and atmosphere."

The menu will include burgers, salads, soups, Porter House steaks, meatloaf and Irish items to match the restaurant's decor.

Gennaro's inspiration for the menu came from a restaurant he owns in New England. The "Tan Turtle Tavern" is the family tavern where Gennaro first tried the concept of mixing family, casual atmosphere and a good time at the right price.

"He is going to have a pretty extensive menu and we were

impressed," said Jim Dwyer, who is leasing the building to Gennaro. Prior to leasing, the space was a fine dining establishment that succumbed to a slow economy. "He came to us and showed interest in it and he has a good background of 20 years in the business."

Before the Ichabod concept was born, Dwyer was already working with Gennaro on another project under construction on Summerlin near Health Park. Gennaro is building a cottage-style restaurant in the plaza.

"It's going to be an offshoot of the menu at the Tan Turtle in New England. It's going to look like a Bahama Breeze, sort of," said Gennaro about the restaurant that will open in March of next year.

But Gennaro's focus now is on Ichabod's interior, food and ambiance. He has plans to change the interior decor slightly, paint the outside and get a new sign.

"It's a great addition to the neighborhood because it's not a big corporate business. It's a local guy," said Marc A. Crowley, of Crowley Realty, LLC. He was the broker that handled the leasing of the property. "It's pretty exciting ... it's going to be closer to what Dwyer's was before the fine dining."

And in keeping with the Dwyer family tradition of Irish decor and feel, Gennaro choose a troll as a mascot. The troll was inspired by the dolls of the early '90's that featured brightly colored hair and distinct faces.

"People can come in here, bring a friend, meet a friend and make a friend. That is our hope," said Gennaro, adding that entertainment is also in the works for the eatery. "We are trying to open on Election Day if we can because people will have something to celebrate ... whatever that may be."