Ford's Garage owners think big

By Gabrielle Sarann

CREATED Jan. 27, 2013

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  • Ford's Garage plans to open a new restaurant in Cape Coral. Video by fox4now.com

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FORT MYERS, Fla. - From first-timers like Gary Bortscheller, of Elk Point, South Dakota, "Somebody said this is the place to go and check it out for a good time and good food," he said.

To now-Lee County regulars like Alexia Kniska, of Fort Myers, "It's great," she said. "I would recommend it to everybody."
 
Dozens dined at Ford's Garage in Fort Myers for a burger or three. 
 
"How was it?" asked Fox 4 reporter Gabrielle Sarann to Mel Weber, of Columbus, Nebraska, "Excellent," he replied. "Just the way I love it."
 
The restaurant opened last February. Now, a sister location is in the works. Managing Partner Daniel Kearns says he and other owners officially took over Leapin' Lizards on Cape Coral Parkway today.
 
"As soon as you get off the bridge, it's right there," said Kearns. "The parking lot is ideal. We're going to be doing a lot of bike nights and car shows there."
 
And of course its 16 Burgers of Fame will take the stage. They have names like the American Standard and the Rooster. Some after influential locals like the city manager and police chief.
 
"Our recipe for success if you will, would be just very close attention to detail," explained Kearns.
 
And the detail is not only in the food. The decor harks back to a gas station from the twenties. 
 
"We've figured out what the community was looking for and we try to do the best we can to give them what they wanted," added Kearns.
 
More than 50 employees churn the joint. It all starts in the kitchen. 
 
"It was very very good," reflected Sandy Weber, a customer from Columbus Nebraska. "There's a lot of it and it was wonderfully made."
 
Kearn says the Cape Coral location will open in two to three months. And and he's planning others in Orlando, Jacksonville, Tampa and Tallahassee in the next few years.