A chicken salad business that built its name on folding tables at Southwest Florida farmers markets has moved indoors. Twila Mae's Chicken Salad opened its first brick-and-mortar restaurant on October 23 at 18011 S. Tamiami Trail, Suite 30, in Fort Myers, tucked into the San Carlos Park Plaza behind a McDonald's. The storefront is named for owner Landon Stevenson's 89-year-old grandmother, who still lives in Missouri.
According to The News-Press, Stevenson signed the lease for the space in February and spent months building out the new location while keeping his market route running. The recipe behind the business hasn't changed: a family blend of chicken, mayonnaise, celery, lemon juice and spices that Stevenson says traces directly back to his grandmother. As Stevenson told Coastal Breeze News, “It's her original recipe.”
From a $76 Market Debut to a Storefront
Stevenson founded the business about seven years ago, launching his first farmers market stand in Bonita Springs with his wife, Katie, in 2020. He made just $76 in sales on that first market day, per The News-Press. The operation has since grown into a fixture across the region, with Twila Mae's currently attending 15 farmers markets, a figure the business lists on its own website. Coastal Breeze News reported last year that Stevenson was attending 16 markets a week at the time, a discrepancy that has not been reconciled in available reporting. The News-Press notes the business expects to be running 19 markets per week, six days a week during the season, once the remaining markets reopen in November.
Stevenson isn't walking away from the markets now that he has a storefront. “We'll keep doing all our farmers markets,” he said, according to The News-Press. He still personally attends the downtown Fort Myers farmers market on Saturdays. Reflecting on the growth of the business, Stevenson said, “What started as a little family business became something much bigger.”
What's on the Menu at the New Fort Myers Spot
The Fort Myers restaurant seats 28 people inside, with plans to add 24 outdoor patio seats. Customers order at the counter and can choose dine-in or takeaway service. Stevenson described the setup to The News-Press as a kind of Chipotle-style approach to chicken salad, letting diners customize their orders.
The storefront serves chicken salad sandwiches, garden bowls and scoop plates for $12.99, the same price point as its specialty sandwiches, per The News-Press. Named sandwich options include the Twila Mae, built with cranberry, lettuce, tomato and onion on a pretzel croissant; the Sanibel, which keeps it simple with chicken salad, arugula and house vinaigrette on a pretzel croissant; and the Babcock, featuring bacon ranch, arugula and tomato on a butter croissant. A side and drink add $4 to any order, and chips were served as the opening-day side, with potato, broccoli and pasta salads planned for the menu going forward. The business makes its chicken salad and sweets in-house, according to The News-Press, and the storefront is open daily from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Ten Flavors, One Clear Favorite
The menu's flavor lineup has grown well beyond the original family recipe. The News-Press reports seven chicken salad variations plus a rotating seasonal flavor, including traditional cranberry, buffalo, bacon ranch, lemon pesto and Thai peanut. Coastal Breeze News previously put the count at ten different flavors, with the traditional cranberry salad as the bestseller. Twila Mae's also sells a 16-ounce Buffalo Chicken Salad made with shredded chicken, buffalo sauce, mayonnaise, shredded carrots and ranch powder, according to the Twila Mae's Chicken Salad website.
Stevenson's own pick is pineapple jalapeño, he told Coastal Breeze News. The business's locations page lists market stops across Fort Myers and Bonita Springs, including sites at 7300 Gladiolus Drive, 13260 Griffin Drive and 6795 South Bay Drive, and notes that all chicken salads are handmade each week. It also advertises a second physical spot at Harbour Plaza, open Wednesday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Saturday from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
A Grandmother's Pride From Afar
Stevenson's grandmother, Twila Mae, hasn't seen the Fort Myers storefront that bears her name, but she's aware of what the family recipe has become. “She thought it was such a simple food. She didn't think it would resonate with people. But now she's super proud,” Stevenson said, per The News-Press. He added a message to the customers who turned the market stand into a restaurant: “And to our customers, thank you for turning a little family business into something we could have only imagined.”
