The concession stand at Tigertail Beach sits between the playground and the lagoon on Hernando Drive. For most of the years since Hurricane Ian, nobody has been selling anything from it. Matt's Beach Shack, which already runs the concession at Lovers Key, now has county approval to change that.
The award fills one of the two gaps Ian left at Tigertail. The other is the restroom building, and it's on a much slower timeline. Collier County's own project page targets restroom completion in the first quarter of 2027, but construction was scheduled to start in June 2026, and as of late September demolition was still waiting on contractor quotes. That gap between the two projects shapes what a Tigertail morning looks like this winter.
What the County Approved on Oct. 13
The Board of County Commissioners' Oct. 13 agenda included a consent item to award Invitation to Negotiate 25-8577, "Tigertail Beach Concession Services," to Matt's Beach Shack, LLC, and to authorize the chair to sign a revenue-generating agreement. The county released the solicitation on March 2, 2026, and asked for food and beverage sales plus beach rentals. It also encouraged vendors to offer prepackaged food and drinks.
Coastal Breeze News reported that this is the first business approved for the site since Nicky P's, which ran briefly before closing after Hurricane Ian. Tigertail hasn't had a long-term vendor since Tony Smith left in 2020 after running the stand for 32 years. Owner Matt Loebs is a Southwest Florida native and Army veteran who has been visiting Tigertail since the 1980s. He told the paper he wants to "bring back local staples from when we grew up here as kids."
Loebs told Coastal Breeze there was no firm opening date yet, and that more permits would be needed before the concessions and the lagoon ferry could start. The Collier County Parks listing for Tigertail still shows concessions, food and beverage service, and watersport and beach-gear rentals as "Closed Until Further Notice."
Why Tigertail Has Been a Hard Place to Run a Snack Bar
Tigertail isn't a quiet park. The county's solicitation says that, based on historical data, it draws more than 150,000 visitors a year across 216 parking spaces and about 3,100 linear feet of beach. But those visitors haven't spent much at the stand. From June 2021 through June 2022, the previous café and rental concessionaire paid the county about $3,800 a month on average, under a contract set at 20% of all revenue. That works out to monthly sales of roughly $19,000, which is modest for a beach with six-figure annual attendance. For the new agreement, the county asked for a flat fee in place of a revenue share, adjustable each year at renewal.
District One Commissioner Rick LoCastro explained the problem to Coastal Breeze News. Attendance at Tigertail is among the lowest of the county's parks, especially in the off-season, and most visitors bring their own meals and coolers. The county had set up several food-truck arrangements to cover the gap, and those trucks left because there weren't enough customers.
"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 told Coastal Breeze News.
In the same report, LoCastro described Smith's 32-year run at the stand as a unique circumstance that a typical operator would find hard to repeat.
What Loebs Wants to Add
Loebs's plan goes straight at the problem LoCastro described. He wants to give people a reason to come to Tigertail, not just a place to buy a drink once they're there. Here's what he described to Coastal Breeze. These are his plans. They aren't confirmed contract terms or open services.
- A kayak ferry across the lagoon. It would carry visitors, chairs and coolers from the parking lot side to the beach. That would replace the long walk around the lagoon, or wading through water without knowing where to step.
- Beer and wine. Loebs said these were "likely to see a return." He couldn't yet say what food the stand would serve.
- Sustainable packaging at the stand, to reduce waste in a sensitive area.
- Community programming built around the playground and lagoon, including running clubs, parent nights at the playground, wildlife-spotting contests with free ice cream as the prize, a farmers market, and a seasonal movie night on a floating screen in the lagoon.
The ferry is the biggest idea on the list, and it's also the one waiting on permits. Loebs called it "probably gonna be one of the best services that we're gonna add out here." He also said he plans a community meet-and-greet to hear what residents want from Tigertail. The October story said it would be "in several weeks" and didn't give a date.
The Restroom Building Is on a Slower Timeline
The central restroom building has been closed for about as long as the stand has been empty. The county built it in 1978. County public information coordinator Connie Deane told Coastal Breeze that saltwater from Ian's surge corroded the reinforcing steel inside the concrete. Because that damage reaches the structural members, she said, it "cannot be addressed through routine patching or replacement of restroom fixtures." A replacement would have to meet current FEMA standards, which means building the whole facility four to five feet higher, with new plumbing, new electrical, accessibility upgrades and new life-safety equipment.
The county's quarterly strategic-priorities update for July 1 through Sept. 30, 2026 shows where the project stands.
- The damage has passed FEMA's 50% substantial-improvement threshold, so the building can't simply be repaired in place.
- Demolition of the restrooms is waiting on contractor quotes.
- Renovation of the lift station is waiting on a Parks and Recreation funding request to the Tourist Development Council.
The same report lists it as Project 80348, with Johnson Engineering and Pape-Dawson as architects and engineers. The estimates are $200,000 for design and $1,000,000 for construction, for a total of $1.2 million. The page, updated Sept. 28, 2026, lists design at 100% and procurement at 50%, but construction at 0%. Its target dates are a June 2026 construction start, restroom completion in Q1 2027 and lift station completion in Q2 2027. It also notes that the project's Coastal Construction Control Line permit expired in July and that a new application was submitted on Dec. 18, 2025. Deane also told Coastal Breeze that Tigertail sits inside Florida's Coastal Construction Control Line, which requires extra permits and approvals and adds time to any project. LoCastro said design and assessment work had to come first, so a replacement could still be years away.
The stand only needs one vendor to finish its permits. The restroom project still has to land a demolition contract and a TDC funding decision while working through coastal permitting, and it's already past its scheduled construction start. That makes the stand the likelier of the two to reopen first.
A Tigertail Morning This Winter, as Things Stand
Here are the basics heading into November, based on the county's current listings.
- Hours: 6 a.m. to sunset, according to the Collier County Parks listing.
- Parking: $10 without a Collier County Resident Beach Parking Permit. The City of Marco Island says county residents can get a free beach-parking sticker at the public library, 210 S. Heathwood Drive.
- Restrooms: Portable units remain on the beach. LoCastro said Parks and Recreation has been told to clean them three times a day, and that a permanent restroom is open at the south end of the parking lot.
- Food and rentals: Still listed as closed until further notice. Pack the cooler for now.
- Getting to the Gulf: You still have to walk around the lagoon, at least until the ferry Loebs described gets its permits.
The Island Calendar Around It
One of Loebs's ideas for Tigertail already runs elsewhere on the island. The City of Marco Island's 2026–27 Farmers Market opens Wednesday, Nov. 18, at 901 Park Ave. and runs through April 14, 2027. After that, Christmas Island Style fills the calendar: Santa's Arrival on Nov. 27, the tree lighting and community celebration on Dec. 5, the canine parade on Dec. 8, the street parade on Dec. 12, and the boat parade on Dec. 19. The boat parade starts at 6 p.m., and entries are due by Dec. 17.
We'll keep tracking Tigertail's opening date and the demolition contract as they move. If you're thinking about what's changing along this side of Marco Island, whether you're buying near the beach or planning a sale this season, the Gina Guarino Group knows how island timelines like these play out. Let Our Team, Be Your Team.
