FORT MYERS, Fla. (August 24, 2020) – Luminary Hotel & Co., the highly anticipated 243-room waterfront hotel opening next month in downtown Fort Myers, Florida, announced today the name of its new onsite coffee roastery – Dean Street Coffee. Named for the extension of Dean Street that used to exist where the Luminary Hotel now sits, Dean Street Coffee will provide the specially brewed coffee flowing through the hotel, its guest rooms, various dining outlets and the Caloosa Sound Convention Center. Overseeing the roastery operation will be newly appointed manager Aaron Hearn, who is working closely with Master Roaster Ulrich Winckler, an award-winning coffee and tea expert, and President of Rebel Coffee in Cape Coral, Florida.
“In addition to supplying our hotel guests and Caloosa Sound meeting attendees with outstanding coffee, we expect Dean Street Coffee to become a favorite downtown hangout for locals and visitors,” said Bob Megazzini, General Manager. “Aaron and Ulli have proven to be a perfect blend, collaborating to make Dean Street Coffee a reality in time for our opening next month.”
To develop Dean Street Coffee, Luminary Hotel & Co. partnered with Rebel Coffee Master Roaster Urlich Winckler, who has developed more than 600 new and unique tea and coffee recipes over his career. His numerous awards and international accolades include the 2014 Roaster of the Year Award, which was presented to his company, Speicherstadt Roesteriei, and personally being honored with the Bronze Pin by the Lüneburg-Wolfsburg Chamber of Industry and Commerce. In his role with Luminary Hotel and Dean Street Coffee, Winckler is overseeing the selection and installation of all equipment, including a Giesen W6 Series roaster, hand built by skilled Dutch artisans as one of the highest quality roasters available, which will provide the power behind the perk at Dean Street. He will also conduct training with management and staff on the art of roasting, consult on the selection and display of loose tea that will be served and sold onsite, and establish the blends and roasting styles featured in Dean Street Coffee.
As manager, Hearn will oversee the staff, administration and retail operations at Dean Street, while assuming the role of day to day roasting. Previously, Hearn has held positions as a trainer for Yard House Restaurant in Naples, Florida, and managed Landry’s Restaurants in Kansas City, Kansas. A graduate of the Disney College Program in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, he also studied Mass Communications at Maple Woods Community College in Kansas City, Missouri.
In addition to Dean Street Coffee, Luminary Hotel & Co. will be home to Ella Mae’s Diner; the signature Silver King Ocean Brasserie and Lobby Bar; the Beacon Social Drinkery rooftop lounge; The Workshop culinary theater; an indoor and outdoor fitness facility; and a spacious pool area on the fourth floor featuring an event deck overlooking the Caloosahatchee River. Luminary offers 8,000 square feet of adaptable indoor and outdoor function space ideal for a variety of events and meetings and is adjacent to the neighboring Caloosa Sound Convention Center, currently being renovated for a September 2020 grand opening. The hotel also offers convenient access to the new riverfront Oxbow Bar & Grill, Oxbow Retail & Rentals, and Caloosa Sound Amphitheater, all located on the Caloosahatchee and scheduled to open in 2021. The Luminary Hotel will be a part of the prestigious Autograph Collection® of Marriott International, Inc. (NYSE: MAR), and is expected to be the first Autograph hotel in the Fort Myers-Naples area.
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About Mainsail Lodging & Development LLC
Mainsail Lodging & Development is a Tampa-based hospitality company that develops and operates lodging products in the Southeastern U.S. and the Caribbean. Their property portfolio includes four Autograph Collection hotels: Scrub Island Resort, Spa & Marina (ScrubIsland.com), a private island resort in the British Virgin Islands; the boutique, food-focused Epicurean Hotel (EpicureanHotel.com) in Tampa, Florida; Waterline Marina Resort (WaterlineResort.com) on Anna Maria Island, Florida; and the historic Fenway Hotel (FenwayHotel.com) in Dunedin, Florida; as well as Mainsail Beach Inn (MainsailBeachInn.com), a boutique beachfront hotel on Anna Maria Island, Florida and The Karol Hotel (TheKarolHotel.com), the first Tribute Portfolio hotel in Pinellas County, Florida. The company also operates corporate housing throughout the Southeast under its Mainsail Corporate Housing brand (MainsailHousing.com), as well as exclusively managing the Florida, Georgia, Alabama and Tennessee markets for Oakwood Worldwide® under both its ExecuStay® (ExecuStay.com) and Oakwood® (Oakwood.com) brands. Mainsail Lodging also manages a portfolio of private vacation homes through its Mainsail Vacation Rentals (MainsailVR.com) offered on Homes & Villas by Marriott International. Additional future projects include Luminary Hotel & Co. (LuminaryHotel.com) in Fort Myers, Florida; Epicurean Atlanta; a 128-room Residence Inn in conjunction with an indoor sports complex in Pasco County, Florida; Wylie Hotel, an independent boutique hotel in Atlanta’s Old Fourth Ward (WylieHotel.com); and a historic boutique hotel in Macon, Georgia. Mainsail Lodging’s corporate charity is Feeding Tampa Bay, the largest food rescue and distribution organization in the community. Mainsail actively supports the cause through a variety of employee and guest programs ranging from packing and sorting at the warehouse, to annual events such as the Epic Chef Showdown. Learn more at MainsailHotels.com
About Autograph Collection Hotels
Autograph Collection Hotels advocates for the original, championing the individuality of each of its over 180 independent hotels located in the most desirable destinations across more than 35 countries and territories. Each is a product of passion and a personal realization of its individual founder’s vision, making each hotel singular and special: Exactly Like Nothing Else. Hand-selected for their inherent craft and distinct perspectives on design and hospitality, Autograph Collection hotels offer rich immersive moments that leave a lasting imprint. For more information, please visit www.autographhotels.com, and explore our social media channels on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook or follow along to be inspired by immersive moments that are #ExactlyLikeNothingElse. Autograph Collection Hotels is proud to participate in Marriott Bonvoy, the new name of Marriott’s travel program replacing Marriott Rewards®, The Ritz- Carlton Rewards®, and Starwood Preferred Guest® (SPG). The program offers members an extraordinary portfolio of global brands, experiences on Marriott Bonvoy Moments and unparalleled benefits including earning points toward free hotel stays and nights toward Elite status recognition. To enrol for free or for more information about the program, visit MarriottBonvoy.marriott.com.