Sweet Melissa’s celebrates with ribbon-cutting
Sweet Melissa’s Restaurant celebrated a milestone moment on Aug. 6, hosting a ribbon-cutting ceremony in partnership with the Greater Fort Myers and Sanibel-Captiva Chamber of Commerce
The event celebrated its relocation from Sanibel to Fort Myers following Hurricane Ian.
Sweet Melissa’s welcomed local leaders and chamber members to experience the chef-driven, farm-to-table dining destination. The program featured remarks from chamber President and Chief Executive Officer John Lai and Lee County Visitor & Convention Bureau Destination Development Manager Nancy Macphee, followed by owner and Executive Chef Melissa Donahue and Executive Sous Chef Thomas Juneau. Attendees sampled bites from the restaurant’s seasonal menu before the ribbon-cutting.
“Sanibel is where this all started, and losing that building was like losing a piece of our family,” Donahue said. “Reopening in Fort Myers wasn’t something we did alone — our guests followed us here, our team stayed with us, and this community made room for us. Cutting this ribbon isn’t just about a restaurant opening its doors. It’s about everyone who helped us get back on our feet.”
Sweet Melissa’s built its reputation over more than a decade on Sanibel before Ian destroyed the original location in 2022. Donahue reopened in Fort Myers in the spring of 2025, where she crafts seasonal, ingredient-forward menus alongside Juneau and sommelier-mixologist Kevin O’Malley.
“What happened to Sweet Melissa’s happened to so many of our members — you build something for a decade and a storm takes it in a single night,” Lai said. “The remarkable thing about this region isn’t that we got hit. It’s that businesses like this one found a way to come back. Melissa’s return is a reminder of what Southwest Florida is made of.”
The restaurant has been recognized by Gulfshore Life magazine and local news media.
Donahue appeared on Food Network’s “Beat Bobby Flay” in 2024.