Matt’s Beach Shack Takes Over at Tigertail Beach

After over four years of vacancy, a new vendor is coming to Tigertail Beach. 

Matt’s Beach Shack, which operates out of Lover’s Key in Fort Myers, was approved by the Board of Collier County Commissioners earlier this month to operate on the property, the first business to do so since the closure of Nicky P’s, which ran for a short period of time before closing following Hurricane Ian. 

The company plans to bring concessions and concierge services to Tigertail, while also making it into an attractive community destination that draws in visitors and locals both in and out of the tourist season, said owner Matt Loebs. 

Loebs, a Southwest Florida native and U.S. Army Veteran, has been familiar with the Marco Island area for some time, having visited Tigertail Beach since the 1980s. He said he was excited to bring services back to the beach, which has lacked a long-term vendor since the departure of Tony Smith in 2020, who ran the concession stand for 32 years. Like Smith, Loebs said he wanted to make Tigertail a destination for the community and people of all ages. 

“It’s exciting to be back and do something cool and then bring back a local staple. That’s the soul of the business: to bring back local staples from when we grew up here as kids,” said Loebs. 

One new service he said he intends to bring to Tigertail solves one of the biggest impediments for visitors: the long walk around the lagoon to the beach. Rather than going around it, Loebs said he wants to ferry visitors across the lagoon in kayaks, transporting guests from their car in the parking lot to the beach with minimal hassle. 

He said it would be a convenient way to transport heavy items like chairs and coolers, which are difficult to bring either by walking through the water without knowing where to step or across the broad, flat beachfront near the South Seas Towers. 

“I think that’s probably gonna be one of the best services that we’re gonna add out here,” Loebs said. 

He added that they would also implement environmentally sustainable packaging at concessions to reduce waste and protect the sensitive area, though he couldn’t say yet what concessions would be on offer when it opens. He did say, however, that beer and wine were likely to see a return. 

According to District One Commissioner Rick LoCastro in an August interview with the Coastal Breeze News, Tigertail Beach has some of the lowest attendance rates of all the county’s parks, which has prevented several food trucks from staying there long-term. 

“Tigertail is enjoyed by many - but the numbers have never been exponential compared to much larger beaches which have more beach and easier Gulf accessibility,” LoCastro said.

Loebs is looking to change that, with a plan to make Tigertail Beach a community destination for children and families. The concessions stand is the heart of the park, he said, and its proximity to both a playground and the lagoon makes it a great place to host a variety of family-friendly events. Some of the ideas Loebs suggested included running clubs, parent days at the playground, wildlife sightseeing contests for free ice cream, a farmers market, and even a seasonal movie night with a floating screen on the water in the lagoon. 

Events like these, he said, would make Tigertail a destination many more people would want to visit. 

“I think that’s a big thing now is people are trying to get offline, trying to be in front of people,” said Loebs. ” You’re giving them a reason to come, a reason to show up and to network. It could be a mom’s playground night for the evening or a dad’s playground night for the evening, and you get the dads that bring the kids one day and the moms that bring the kids the next day. So you’re starting to build a community and network, and people are meeting each other - it goes deeper than just doing a business here when you think about the connections that we’re gonna build.”

Loebs added that there was no firm opening date yet, as the county has only just approved their business to operate in the location, and it will require more permitting before the concessions and canoe ferry service can begin. Despite that, he expressed enthusiasm for getting out into the community and wanted to hear from local residents about what they want from Tigertail Beach to make it better. He plans to host a meet-and-greet in several weeks to hear from the community and learn how best to serve their needs.