Boops By The Bubble Room features sweets, more
Island residents and visitors now have a quick and easy way to pick up The Bubble Room’s beloved cakes, plus other tasty treats and drinks, with the recent reopening of the old Emporium building.
A stand-alone structure located across from the restaurant in the parking lot, the space underwent renovations and reopened in late March as the new Boops By The Bubble Room. Offering takeout and indoor and outdoor seating, the new concept is designed as an ice cream parlor and soda fountain.
When The Bubble Room relocated the Emporium in 2019 into the former site of Albert Meadow Antiques, located directly across Captiva Drive, the idea had already been forming about what to do with the leftover vacant structure. General Manager Stephen Peach reported that the demand for the cakes to-go resulted in a plan to move that into the building, which also freed up restaurant space.
“Then we decided to enhance it,” he said of the menu.
Along with its world-famous cakes, available by the slice or whole, Boops By The Bubble Room features hand-dipped, Love Boat ice cream in a variety of flavors in a cup or cone, plus toppings. There are fountain sodas, ice cream floats, egg creams and milk shakes, along with soft serve ice cream.
Customers can also pick up fresh-baked pastries, from croissants and chocolate avalanche, to almondine and spinach with feta, as well as coffee by Illy, espresso, tea, hot chocolate and more.
“We really wanted to give customers a special treat when they came in,” Peach said.
And in true Bubble Room fashion, the space features rare antiques.
The pendant lights over the counter and soda fountain back bar, made up of wood, stained glass and marble, date back to the 1890s in Chicago, Illinois. Peach noted that as part of the renovations, they had to lift the section of roof behind the serving counter to install the bar because it was not high enough.
“We had to raise the ceiling to fit that in,” he said.
Nearly 80-years-old, the soda fountain dispenser and ice cream freezer were built in 1948 by the Bastian-Blessing Company. Peach pointed out that Boops makes its soda fountains from scratch. In addition, the ceiling holds a pair of working, belt-driven Hunter (Teurk) fans, dated to the 1890s.
The dine-in seats are refurbished chairs from the 1940s in Chicago.
“We wanted people to feel like they were in an old-fashioned soda fountain, ice cream parlor,” he said.
As for the name, Peach explained that when Bubble Room co-founder Katie Gardenia owned the restaurant, at one point she opened and ran what would be considered a taco stand in today’s times. Also called Boop’s by The Bubble Room, it offered Mexican food, sandwiches and ice cream.
He continued that they went with the same name in tribute to that.
Soon after the relocation of the Emporium, they began planning and designing for the new Boop’s. Construction started in late 2019 and was completed early this year, due to delays with the pandemic.
Peach reported that since the opening, the response from the public has been great.
“It’s beyond our expectations,” he said. “It’s been really nonstop.”
Residents and visitors are encouraged to stop in.
“We’re really happy to bring something that’s needed on the island, and we’re really proud of how it turned out,” Peach said.
Hours of operation are seven days a week from 8:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.
For more information, call 239-472-5558 or visit https://www.bubbleroomrestaurant.com/.
Boops By The Bubble Room is at 15001 Captiva Drive, Captiva.