The first to open of Sandy Stilwell Youngquist’s restaurant dynasty on Captiva Island called for a celebration and SanCap Chamber ribbon-cutting at RC Otter’s Island Eats on Thursday, July 27 at 11506 Andy Rosse Lane. The restaurant officially reopened after hurricane reconstruction on Father’s Day, June 18.

Originally opened in 1998, RC Otter’s came under Youngquist’s ownership in 2003. She expects her Captiva flagship restaurant, Keylime Bistro to open in September in time for the Island Hopper Songwriter Fest. In the meantime, Youngquist set up the Rico Suave’s Mexican Cuisine on the Go food truck outside her Captiva Cantina and opened a second Keylime Bistro, which was in the works pre-Ian, in Boca Grande on Gasparilla Island to the north.

RC Otter’s, like the rest, flooded, but quick remediation followed by clean-up and restoration work on the part of Youngquist’s team of employees got the popular breakfast, lunch, and dinner spot back on its feet. Current hours are 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Youngquist’s team has been instrumental in supporting the community since the days after Hurricane Ian hit in September with two to three boats running workers and residents out to the islands to begin the recovery process.

“Initially, when the hurricane hit, the firemen on the island didn’t have vehicles, so I loaned them my jeep and my S Car Go Trolley that pulls the tram,” said Youngquist. “It was pretty funny to see the first responders running around the island in my Jeep that looks like a snail!”

She donated food from her restaurants’ refrigerators, helped with island fundraisers, and serves as chairman of the Planning and Capacity Branch of Resilient Lee to come up with a master plan for the hurricane build-back and coordinate with the different county municipalities to make positive changes for future resiliency.

“The chamber has been invaluable in keeping the business community together and celebrating each opening of businesses,” Youngquist said. “We’ve all been through a lot, and I appreciate having the chamber as our voice to the community.”

“Sandy is an iconic member of the islands’ business community, and her leadership has been an inspiration,” said John Lai, chamber president and chief executive officer. “We congratulate her as she puts back together her Captiva Island Inn and restaurants complex to restore charm and hope to the Captiva community.”

 

ABOUT SANIBEL & CAPTIVA ISLANDS CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

The Sanibel & Captiva Islands Chamber of Commerce is dedicated to promoting the prosperity of its members and preserving the quality of life of our community. The Chamber plays a key role in facilitating communication and cooperation between business, residents, and government to enhance the economic health of the islands. Its website, sanibel-captiva.org, receives over 1.3 million visits per year. For more information about the chamber, visit sanibel-captiva.org or contact John Lai, president and CEO, at 239-472-2348 or [email protected].