At first glance, nothing has changed at Cape Cod Fish Co. in Fort Myers.
The menu’s the same. The staff — from the kitchen to front of house — are still there. Tables, chairs, décor? Same, same, same.
Markus and Lisa Fleischhauer promise to keep it that way. And that’s a very good thing.
Meet the new owners of the award-winning seafood restaurant tucked away in Miners Plaza between Old McGregor Boulevard and McGregor Boulevard.
The couple bought it from Joe “The Codfather” Faria on Aug. 30 and, after the restaurant’s annual vacation, celebrated their opening day on Sept. 19.
“It does come with some pressure,” Markus said of owning the restaurant. “We have some big footsteps to fill. But we love what we do and are passionate about it.”
Those footsteps were made by Faria, a native Rhode Islander, who opened the popular seafood joint in September 2013.
He built a loyal following with locals and visitors over the last decade.
Cape Cod Fish Co. landed in the national spotlight when it came in at No. 38 on Yelp’s Top 100 U.S. Seafood Spots in a 2024 list.