"All the business points have been agreed upon, so we do have a deal. It's just a matter of the lawyers documenting it."
Paragon Theaters CEO Mike Whalen said that in early September, a few days before Alamo Drafthouse Cinema closed its Mercato location on Sept. 9, 2026. Paragon already runs the 10-screen cinema across US-41 in The Pavilion shopping center. If the lease is signed, one company will run the movie screens on both sides of the intersection at Naples Park's southeast corner.
That pattern holds well beyond the theaters. On both sides of US-41, most of this year's changes come from operators with history at this corner or a working location somewhere else in town. And with Collier County's widening of Vanderbilt Beach Road now underway from just east of US-41, the two shopping centers face different conditions heading into season.
A Cinema Deal That Is Agreed but Not Yet Signed
Alamo lasted about two and a half years at Mercato. It replaced the longtime Silverspot Cinema in April 2024, and Naples Press reported that the location underperformed for the chain. Jamestown manages Mercato, and its spokesperson Lauren Ness said a new movie theater tenant was "in process."
Reports differ on timing. Whalen told Naples Press that Paragon wanted the 11 screens open by mid-December, in time for the new Avengers and Dune sequels on Dec. 18. The Naples Daily News reporting gave a target of December or January for the 33,652-square-foot space. As of early October, none of the reporting gathered for this post confirms a signed lease, so the December opening is a goal, not a set date.
Paragon has said what it plans to install. The second-floor space would get Axis15 Extreme auditoriums with tilted screens and Lux Box dine-in recliners, which Whalen described as "a high-end pod recliner where you can order food to your seat." Today the two theaters compete across the street from each other. Under the plan, they would become two locations of the same company.
The Pavilion Side Added Mostly Second Locations
On the west side of US-41, the new names at The Pavilion follow the same pattern. Most are operators expanding from somewhere else in the area, or a new owner keeping a space running.
Sour & Dough Artisan Bakery opened in early September 2026 at 893 Vanderbilt Beach Road, Unit 58, in a small unit next to Kava Culture near the "elbow" of the center. It is the second location for a family that opened its first Sour & Dough in University Village near FGCU in May 2024. Co-owner Marcel Itzcovich told Gulfshore Business, "It's a family business, and we try to keep it family-oriented." The 1,190-square-foot space has covered seating indoors and out. The menu includes cruffins, which are part croissant and part muffin, plus a focaccia sandwich with turkey, brie, arugula and house-made pesto. Soft-opening hours were listed as 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. daily and were still tentative, so check before you go.
Beyond Juicery + Eatery opened in January 2026 at 885 Vanderbilt Beach Road. It is the Michigan-based chain's second Naples-area location.
Amber Cove is the clearest example of an address carrying on under new hands. Chef-owner Keith Casey ran KC American Bistro at 885 Vanderbilt Beach Road from June 2009. He sold it to Tim Herman, a hospitality executive whose career includes LaPlaya Beach & Golf Resort and The Inn on Fifth. Herman bought the restaurant March 7, ran it as KC American Bistro under a management agreement until May 1, and then launched Amber Cove in early May as a fine-dining room serving modern coastal cuisine.
On this side of the road, a bakery, a juice bar and a dinner room all opened in spaces that never went dark, and each comes from an operator with a track record nearby.
Mercato's Fall Dates Are Published, and Most Avoid the Work Hours
Mercato's 2026 has included both an opening and a vacancy. Shake Shack opened Feb. 20 at 9105 Strada Place, Suite 3145. Cavo Lounge closed April 25 after 11 years at 9108 Strada Place, and Jamestown said lease talks for that space were underway, with no replacement tenant announced.
The fall calendar on Mercato's events page is already set. Here it is next to the county's construction schedule, which allows daytime lane closures from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Monday through Saturday.
| Event | Date | Day and time | Overlaps the lane-closure window? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pumpkin Patch, Event Lawn, benefiting SNIP Collier | Oct. 17–25 | Weekdays 4–7 p.m.; Saturdays noon–7 p.m.; Sundays shorter hours | Only on Saturdays, Oct. 17 and 24 |
| Cars and Coffee 239 | Oct. 18, Nov. 15, Dec. 20 | All Sundays | No |
| Haunted Hoedown | Oct. 20 | Tuesday, 5:30–7:30 p.m. | No, it starts two hours after the window closes |
| Taste of Mercato, the Piazza, nine restaurants | Nov. 7 | Saturday, 5–8 p.m. | No, it starts after 3:30 p.m. |
The only overlap comes on the two Pumpkin Patch Saturdays, when sales open at noon. The weekday patch hours start at 4 p.m., after the closure window ends, and the evening events and Sunday car shows also fall outside the closure schedule. These are live listings, so confirm details closer to each date. Mercato has not posted a 2026 tree-lighting date yet.
The Widening Starts at Mercato's Entrance
The county issued a notice to proceed in July 2026 for the Vanderbilt Beach Road Widening Project, which runs about 1.8 miles from just east of US-41 to east of Goodlette-Frank Road. The road goes from four lanes to six, mostly by building in the existing median, at a cost of about $28.4 million. The scope includes intersection improvements at Strada Place, which is Mercato's main entrance road. It also adds stormwater upgrades, new lighting and improved pedestrian ramps, while keeping the existing sidewalks in place.
That location is what separates the two centers this season. The Pavilion sits west of US-41, outside the project area. Mercato sits at its western end. Several dates are worth keeping in mind:
- Now through roughly mid-2028. The county expects construction to take about two years from July 2026, weather permitting, with daytime lane closures Monday through Saturday.
- Spring 2027. A box culvert is going in under the road. For about two months, traffic will drop to one lane in each direction between Strada Place and Goodlette-Frank Road.
- Any time. Connie Deane, the project's community liaison, takes questions at (239) 252-8365 or [email protected].
The county's project notice suggests drivers without a destination in the work zone use another route. For anyone heading to Mercato, though, the destination is inside it. If Paragon's December target holds, the Mercato theater will reopen with the widening about six months in, and the culvert work will follow a few months later at the same Strada Place end of the project.
Work on the Numbered Avenues Is Scheduled Separately
Naples Park's own streets are on a different county schedule. Collier County's update covering April 1 through June 30, 2026, lists the water, wastewater and stormwater renewal on 98th and 99th Avenues North as complete. The 103rd and 104th Avenues North project had its bid opening May 22, 2026, with no construction start announced. The 91st Avenue North design was being revised to add stormwater information. That is the latest published status. It does not describe what crews are doing on those streets this month.
The one change at the beach end of Vanderbilt Beach Road is seasonal. Collier County Parks lists the Vanderbilt Beach Park garage and on-street parking at $10 for visitors without a county resident beach permit. From January through March, the county suggests arriving before 10 a.m. to find a space.
When a familiar operator takes over a space at your corner of town, it shows how much confidence local businesses have in the area going into season. If you're thinking about what that means for your own property near US-41 and Vanderbilt Beach Road, Lynna Follis is happy to walk you through it over coffee. Let's Connect.
This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Consult a qualified professional about your situation.
