Hurricane Grill & Wings to open Monday
Warning, there’s a hurricane coming.
Hurricane Grill & Wings will open up its newest location Monday in Cape Coral at 756 S.W. Pine Island Road, on the site of the former Shrimp Shack.
Roughly 90 new staff members, mostly from Cape Coral, were busy this week with corporate trainers, learning the menu and the Hurricane way of doing things.
They will do a dry run with family and friends on Friday and Saturday for a complimentary meal before the grand opening.
Having already received a warm welcome from residents and surrounding businesses in the area, the new Cape Coral location is poised to become a great asset to the community.
Dave Whitker, franchisee at Hurricanes, who also runs the Naples location, said there was competition for the building and that he had to have it for a new Hurricanes location.
“I brought my wife out, walked in the door and saw the same thing I did, that it had tremendous potential without a huge investment,” Whitker said. “We like the Cape Coral market, there are a lot of workers. This appealed to us on a busy street.”
The new building doesn’t look much like the old Shrimp Shack, with much more color, a new patio and bar location, and a Caribbean theme.
“I’m kind of a rogue. It’s a combination of things I’ve seen at Hurricanes and my wife is a graphic artist,” Whitker said. “It’s things we’ve seen, but we’ve customized it.”
Hurricane Grill & Wings is known for its more than 35 flavors of sauces and rubs for their jumbo chicken wings, from mild to four-alarm hot.
They even have a sauce sampler where you can try the different flavors and see what’s right for you, Whitker said.
“Our wings are never frozen and out-of-this-world good,” said Shelby Lopaty, who handles Hurricane’s public relations. “It has something for every palate.”
Hurricane also serves up an extensive menu of cooked-to-order dishes. Fare includes appetizers such as conch fritters and Hurricane Nachos, entrees like Island grilled shrimp and crispy chicken sliders, and desserts including key lime pie and Chocolate Chocolate cheesecake.
Most of their entree items are in the $8-$10 price range. Whitker said it helped that they bought an existing location.
The menu also features a wide array of hand-crafted cocktails, wines, and locally crafted brews.
The restaurant will feature two bars, one inside and one outside that seat about 15. There are also two patios, seating a total of 60, and a dining room that seats 160.
Hurricane Grill & Wings opened in 1995 in Fort Pierce, and has 60 locations nationwide.
Hurricane Grill & Wings will be open daily from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. Despite the late hours, Whitker said he plans to keep the place a family oriented business.
For more information, contact Hurricane Grill & Wings at 800-3141 or find them online at www.hurricanewings.com.