Atlantic Forge Steakhouse Set to Open in Former Uncle Julio's Space at Naples' Coastland Center

Atlantic Forge Mediterranean Steakhouse is planned for the freestanding building at 2096 Ninth St. N. at Coastland Center in Naples, the space Uncle Julio's vacated in February after roughly three and a half years there, according to reporting by Tim Aten published September 25, 2026 in Gulfshore Business. The building sits on the mall's northwest corner, at U.S. 41 North and Golden Gate Parkway, and runs nearly 11,500 square feet.

I am Kris Asquith, Broker Associate at Premiere Plus Realty, and I sell across nine Southwest Florida markets including Naples. A new restaurant taking over a freestanding pad site at one of Naples' busiest intersections is a concrete, sourced fact about that corridor, worth recording accurately rather than talked up.

The Naples Design Review Board granted final approval on August 26 for a set of exterior changes to the building, according to Gulfshore Business's reporting. Those approved changes include repainting the building's western wall mural white with gold lettering, removing ironwork near the patio, installing Mediterranean-style landscaping such as Italian cypress trees, bougainvillea and podocarpus shrubs, and adding firepit tables, planters and a built-in gas fireplace feature to the patio.

Jason B. Taylor of Taylor Studios Inc., the project's designer, was quoted in that reporting describing the patio work: "Our proposed improvements include the addition of firepit tables, freestanding firepits, some planters and a built-in gas fireplace feature on the patio."

Two other projects are moving forward nearby, according to the same reporting. Rodizio Grill, a Brazilian steakhouse, is building out the former Aurelio's Pizza space on the mall's grounds, and Oar & Iron Raw Bar & Grill is under construction on a new outparcel in what was Macy's parking lot, on the mall's southwest corner. Across the street, in the former Dorona space at 2110 Tamiami Trail N., a Chicago-based health system, Northwestern Memorial HealthCare Corp., is opening a Northwestern Concierge Clinic. Dorona, a modern Italian steakhouse, closed permanently in May 2025 after more than seven years in a space that had previously housed a TGI Friday's and a Midtown Kitchen & Bar.

Gulfshore Business's reporting puts the anticipated opening in early 2027, following the exterior and patio work the design board just approved. That is a projected date on a restaurant that has not yet opened, and it is worth treating as exactly that: a timeline based on current plans, not a guaranteed date, since restaurant buildouts commonly shift.

Nobody can honestly put a number on what one restaurant approval does to nearby property values, and it is fair to be skeptical of anyone who claims otherwise this early, before the doors have even opened. What is verifiable is narrower: a prominent, long-vacant pad site at one of Naples' busiest intersections has cleared design review and has a stated construction timeline, which is one data point about ongoing investment along that stretch of U.S. 41, not a forecast for any specific nearby address.

Coastland Center sits along the U.S. 41 North corridor, near a mix of established and newer Naples condos and single-family neighborhoods. Naples new construction covers more of what else is currently building in the wider market.

As one confirmed approval among several projects moving forward around the same intersection, not as a reason to rush a decision on a nearby property. Construction activity around Coastland Center is likely to continue for at least the next year as Atlantic Forge, Rodizio Grill and Oar & Iron all build out at once, which is worth asking about directly if you are considering a home or condo close to this corridor.

The details that actually decide what a specific Naples property is worth to own, insure and maintain still come from the property itself: elevation, flood insurance history, association rules where one applies, and what an inspection and survey turn up. The inspection stage of the home buying process is where each of those gets checked before you are ever under contract.

If you are weighing luxury homes in Naples, a property near this stretch of U.S. 41, or want a straight read on how nearby development affects a specific address, get in touch or call (239) 300-1427.