2026-09-24 · 6 min read · Fort Myers
Grimaldi's Pizzeria at Bell Tower Sold, New Owners Plan Five More SWFL Locations
Has Grimaldi's Pizzeria at Bell Tower Been Sold?
Yes. Grimaldi's Pizzeria at Bell Tower Shops in Fort Myers has new ownership, according to reporting published September 22, 2026 by the Fort Myers News-Press (writer Robyn George) and again September 23, 2026 by Gulfshore Business (writer Adam Regan). The buyer is UNIV Hospitality of Fort Myers, LLC, led by Gary Patel and Anil Harkhani. Neither outlet reported a purchase price, and both described the terms of the sale as undisclosed.
I am Kris Asquith, Broker Associate at Premiere Plus Realty, and I sell across nine Southwest Florida markets including Fort Myers. A long-running restaurant at one of Fort Myers's best-known shopping centers changing hands, with a stated plan to expand regionally rather than close, is worth recording accurately rather than left to rumor.
Is the Bell Tower Restaurant Still Open, and Is It Closing?
It is staying open. Both outlets reported that the Bell Tower location continues operating under its new ownership, with no closure or interruption tied to the sale. Grimaldi's has anchored a spot in Bell Tower Shops at 13499 S. Cleveland Avenue since late 2010, and the reporting gave no indication that changes to the physical restaurant, its staff or its hours are planned in the near term.
Gulfshore Business reported that Grimaldi's other Florida locations, in Tampa, Palm Beach Gardens and Miramar Beach, are corporate-owned and are not part of this transaction. The Bell Tower restaurant was previously the brand's only Southwest Florida location and one of just four in the state.
What Expansion Is Planned for Southwest Florida?
Beyond the Bell Tower purchase, UNIV Hospitality signed a five-unit franchise development agreement with Grimaldi's, according to both outlets. The agreement covers Lee County, Collier County and Sarasota County, with Gulfshore Business reporting a timeline of roughly the next four years. Neither outlet had specific addresses, a construction timeline, or an order in which the new restaurants would open. Anil Harkhani was quoted by an earlier trade report as saying the group looks forward to bringing Grimaldi's to more communities across the region while keeping the brand's casual-yet-upscale atmosphere.
This is Grimaldi's third domestic franchise territory, according to both outlets, joining existing franchise agreements in Alabama and Iowa. Company leadership credited the new ownership group's hospitality experience as the reason for expanding into a third state through franchising rather than opening more corporate-owned stores.
What Is Grimaldi's Known For, and How Long Has It Been at Bell Tower?
Grimaldi's is a Brooklyn-founded pizza chain, established in 1990, known for coal-fired brick-oven pizza in the New York style, along with calzones and house-made desserts. The brand now operates more than 40 locations across 12 states. The Bell Tower restaurant has been part of that lineup since late 2010, giving it roughly fifteen years as one of the shopping center's longer-tenured tenants.
The Fort Myers News-Press additionally reported that the Bell Tower location is expected to add a full liquor license in October 2026, a detail not confirmed by the other outlet, so it is stated here on that single source rather than as independently verified.
Does a Restaurant Ownership Change Like This Affect Fort Myers Property Values?
Nobody can honestly put a number on what one restaurant sale does to nearby property values, and it is fair to be skeptical of anyone who claims otherwise. What is verifiable is narrower and still useful: Bell Tower Shops keeps an established, long-running restaurant in place under new local ownership that has committed money to growing in this region rather than pulling back from it.
If you are looking at property near south Fort Myers, new construction in Fort Myers and Fort Myers waterfront homes cover more of what is currently available near the Bell Tower corridor and along the Caloosahatchee.
Where to Get a Straight Read on Fort Myers Real Estate
A restaurant changing hands is one data point about a commercial corridor, and it is not a substitute for the details that decide what a specific address costs to buy, insure and maintain: flood zone, HOA rules where one applies, and what an inspection turns up. The home buying process walks through where each of those gets checked, in order, before you are ever under contract.
If you are weighing a property near Bell Tower Shops or anywhere else across the nine markets I cover, get in touch or call (239) 300-1427 for a straight read on a specific address rather than the neighborhood in general.