The pizzeria that's anchored Bell Tower Shops since late 2010 has new owners, and they're not stopping at one restaurant. UNIV Hospitality of Fort Myers, LLC has bought Grimaldi's Pizzeria at Bell Tower, and the local firm already has a plan to bring five more of the coal-fired pizza chain's restaurants to Southwest Florida.
UNIV Hospitality, led by Gary Patel and Anil Harkhani, recently purchased the Fort Myers restaurant, according to bradenton.com. The Bell Tower location has been a fixture in the area since late 2010 and, notably, it's currently the only Grimaldi's in Southwest Florida and just one of four in the entire state, per the same report. Under the new ownership, the restaurant will keep operating under the Grimaldi's Pizzeria name as part of the UNIV Hospitality portfolio, according to fsrmagazine.com.
Five More Restaurants Planned Across Three Counties
The Bell Tower sale is just the opening move. UNIV Hospitality has signed a franchise development agreement to eventually open five additional Grimaldi's locations, the bradenton.com report notes. Those future restaurants are expected to be spread across Sarasota, Lee and Collier counties, according to fsrmagazine.com's account of the deal.
No addresses, opening dates or construction timelines have been made public for any of the planned locations. The expansion marks a notable moment for the brand's franchise footprint nationally — Southwest Florida is the third domestic franchise territory for Grimaldi's, joining Alabama and Iowa, fsrmagazine.com reports. Trade outlet pizzamarketplace.com likewise describes the deal as Grimaldi's expanding its Southwest Florida presence through the franchise agreement with UNIV Hospitality.
A Familiar Pie, Now Under New Ownership
UNIV Hospitality says it intends to keep the formula that's made the Bell Tower location a draw for well over a decade. The company plans to bring the same family-friendly, casual yet upscale atmosphere and award-winning pizzas to more Southwest Florida communities, per bradenton.com.
Grimaldi's corporate footprint outside the region remains unchanged by the sale. The chain will continue to operate its existing Tampa, Palm Beach Gardens, and Miramar Beach locations as company-owned restaurants, according to fsrmagazine.com. As for the company's overall size, reports diverge: bradenton.com describes Grimaldi's as now having 40-plus locations in 12 states, while Grimaldi's own franchising materials, per grimaldispizzeria.com, state the company has 39 domestic company-owned and operated locations plus six franchised locations in 12 states.
What It Costs to Open a Grimaldi's
For anyone curious what it takes to bring a Grimaldi's to a new address, the company's own franchising disclosures spell out the numbers. The total initial investment to open a location ranges from $1,374,800 to $1,755,000, according to grimaldispizzeria.com, with a separate franchise fee of $50,000 charged for each location. Grimaldi's also reports that its historic gross-sales data reflects 42 company-operated restaurants that were open during the full 2024 calendar year, per the same source.
Financial terms of the Bell Tower sale itself haven't been disclosed, and it remains unclear which specific sites in Lee, Collier and Sarasota counties are being eyed for the five planned restaurants. As reported by The News-Press, the sale of the Fort Myers pizzeria appears to be just the beginning of a broader Southwest Florida build-out for the brand.
