Ford’s Garage, which opened in downtown Fort Myers in 2012, has revved up their engines, opening 16 additional restaurants in three states, with many more planned throughout the country.
A couple of years after they opened, a few retired Ford executives stopped by and noticed the detail and care put into the restaurant, from the black Model T suspended above the bar to the branded Ford’s Garage logo on burger buns.
Word of mouth led to the Ford Motor Co. forging a unique relationship with the eatery. Ford’s Garage is the first and only restaurant allowed rights to Ford’s iconic blue-oval logo, as well as other imagery from the automotive giant, including archived historical photos, images of vehicles and actual Model Ts.
Fun fact:
You may be surprised to learn just how many restaurant chains began in Florida!
Did you know that The Whopper and the Bloomin’ Onion were both born in the Sunshine State?
Here’s a list — Is your favorite included?
- Burger King – Jacksonville 1953
- Sonny’s BBQ – Gainesville 1968
- Red Lobster – Lakeland 1968
- Olive Garden – Orlando 1982
- Hooters – Clearwater 1983
- Outback Steakhouse – Tampa 1988
- Rib City Grill – Fort Myers 1989
- Metro Diner – Jacksonville 1992
- Firehouse Subs – Jacksonville 1994
- Bonefish Grill – St. Petersburg 2000
- PDQ – Tampa 2011
