Team members from Doc Ford’s Rum Bar & Grille on Fort Myers Beach spent a recent morning volunteering at the Gulf Coast Humane Society. The restaurant’s 10 employees cleaned all kennels, did laundry, measured and bagged food, and provided exercise for dogs at the nonprofit organization.
“Our group enjoyed helping out at the Gulf Coast Humane Society and spending time with the dogs,” said Ryan Cook, general manager of the Fort Myers Beach Doc Ford’s Rum Bar & Grille. “This was our first time volunteering at the shelter, which depends entirely on financial and volunteer donations from the community.”
Founded in 1947, the Gulf Coast Humane Society is Southwest Florida’s most tenured no-kill animal welfare organization dedicated to providing a safe haven and medical care for pets, promoting adoptions and building bonds between pets and people. Since it does not receive local or federal funding or money from the Humane Society of the United States or the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, the Fort Myers shelter relies solely on community donations, grants, bequests and fundraising events to support its operations.
For more information about donating, volunteering or adopting a pet, call the society at 239-332-0364, visit online at gulfcoasthumanesociety.org or in person at 2010 Arcadia St., Fort Myers.
Philanthropy and community outreach are engrained in the company philosophy of HM Restaurant Group, which owns and operates Doc Ford’s Rum Bar & Grille. Proceeds from specialty cocktails at Doc Ford’s have raised over $133,000 to support children’s hospitals in Southwest Florida and St. Petersburg. HM Restaurant Group also supports local nonprofits dedicated to conservation, community, education and the environment. The “Ding” Darling Doc Ford’s Tarpon Tournament has donated over $1.57 million for conservation and water-quality research at Sanibel’s J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge since its inception in 2012. The 14th annual tournament will be held May 15, 2026.
With locations on Sanibel Island, Fort Myers Beach, Jungle Terrace in St. Petersburg and the St. Petersburg Pier, Doc Ford’s Rum Bar & Grille is open daily from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Revered for its legendary guest experience, the award-winning restaurant offers food with a unique balance of flavors inspired by the Caribbean Rim and is known for its sauces, spices, passion and signature Yucatán shrimp. Doc Ford’s is beloved by locals and visitors alike as a spectacular seafood restaurant and is a perennial Tripadvisor Travelers’ Choice winner. The pier was named the No. 1 Best of the Best Restaurants for Everyday Eats in 2023.
