Former GM of The Cottage, Shuckers Restaurants Starts New Handyman Business –

Brian Nagle ran Shuckers for three years at the Gulfshore and The Cottage Bar restaurants on Fort Myers Beach, but saw both century-old buildings disappear during Hurricane Ian due to howling winds and at least 15 feet of storm surge.

With the future of the property and restaurants uncertain, Nagle couldn’t wait to start his next job. He started a licensed handyman business called B. Nagle Repair and Maintenance.

I started renovating kitchens and bathrooms when I was 13, in New Jersey, said Nagle, who was then working for his uncle. He taught me a trade that I am eternally grateful for. I do maintenance and repairs. I decided to take a break from the restaurant business. Not only that, but I’ve been doing construction work all my life. I have created a network. I’ve been doing this word of mouth a bit with my reputation.

Immediately after the storm, Nagle held fundraisers for his fellow restaurant workers. Married and a father of three, Nagle knew he had to earn a living again. He is working on getting his general contractor license and building a team to work on restaurants and businesses, in addition to households in need of repairs.

This is something I can do, Nagle said. I have the tools. I have the vehicle I need to make this happen. So why don’t I try and get some legs under something of my own. And first use that network I built for myself.

Nagle had extensive restaurant experience, having managed The Lodge in downtown Fort Myers prior to The Cottage and Shuckers. But he became fond of managing the beach restaurants, and he couldn’t imagine stepping into another restaurant right now.

It was the best time of my life, Nagle said of working at The Cottage. I really enjoyed doing it. But the best part is that I learned a lot from doing it. The best thing is that I learned so much. How to run a business really successfully. How to manage people. How to deal with customers.

The Cottage Property ownership group, Colorado East LLC, consists of nine individuals. They include Dana Gosford of Nashville, Tennessee. She grew up on Fort Myers Beach and told it Gulfshore Affairs that she and two of the owners hope to retain ownership of the property and rebuild it, while the other six owners hope to sell their shares. The asking price for the land is $16 million for approximately eight-tenths of an acre.

Nagle said if the restaurants are rebuilt, he would be first in line to return and manage them. Until then, he will continue to build B. Nagle Repair and Maintenance with his rates starting at $55 an hour, plus materials.