Grimaldi's Pizzeria has sold its company-owned Bell Tower restaurant in Fort Myers to UNIV Hospitality of Fort Myers, led by principals Gary Patel and Anil Harkhani. The sale comes bundled with something bigger: a signed development agreement for UNIV Hospitality to open five additional Grimaldi's restaurants across Sarasota, Lee and Collier counties, extending the brand's reach throughout Southwest Florida.
Harkhani said the plan is to build on what the Bell Tower restaurant has already established while bringing that same energy to new communities across the region, describing the goal as recreating the family-friendly, casual-yet-upscale atmosphere Grimaldi's is known for at each new location. Grimaldi's will keep operating its other company-owned Florida restaurants in downtown Palm Beach Gardens, Miramar Beach and Tampa's Westshore Plaza, so this deal reshapes the brand's presence around Fort Myers specifically rather than pulling Grimaldi's out of the state.
Southwest Florida becomes Grimaldi's third domestic franchise territory, joining Alabama and Iowa as the brand continues expanding beyond its company-operated locations. In Alabama, franchisee Power Brands Hospitality Group has already opened three restaurants, most recently in Madison, giving Grimaldi's a working example of what a multi-unit franchise partnership with the brand can look like over time.
Michael A. Flaum, Grimaldi's Chief Operating Officer, said the company is glad to welcome Gary, Anil and the UNIV Hospitality team into the Grimaldi's franchise family, pointing to their hospitality experience as the kind of strength that makes them a strong long-term partner for growing the brand. Grimaldi's has built its reputation on coal-fired, brick-oven pizza in the Brooklyn tradition, alongside a long-running partnership with No Kid Hungry that has raised more than 1.4 million dollars since 2013.
Turning a signed five-restaurant agreement into five actual open restaurants means tracking site selection, staffing and buildout timelines across three different counties at once, each on its own schedule. Gorilla Dash offers an Event Calendar feature designed to help franchise brands keep those staggered opening dates and site milestones organized, so an agreement like this one stays on track as it moves from signature to five separate grand openings.
