By: David Piro
Maria Torocco and Alaina Basile are not just mothers, but sisters who are female co-owners and partners at the hottest breakfast spot in the Gateway, and the Daniels Corridor area. Just now open, The Rise & Grind Cafe’ serves an assortment of locally roasted coffees, teas, smoothies, and more as well as homemade breakfast selections, freshly prepared lunch, and brunch. Derived from their Italian heritage, find New York inspired bagels, salads, house-made pestos, and other Mediterranean flavors.
As part of their soon to be famous offerings, Rise & Grind is home to several gluten-free pizzas that use cauliflower as a base in the crust. Other featured lunch items include awesome yogurt bowls, unique refreshing salads, and gut-filling sandwiches. Many of these make convenient meals when going to or from work, at reasonable prices.
“We want everyone to know we’re making it easy for you to order by phone and pick up, perfect for on the go,” said Maria. Being local moms they understand the importance of nutrition and flavor by focusing their products on being keto-friendly, low-carb, and of course fresh. Balance is also important at home, where Alaina has a 6-month-old son, Bradley, while, Maria has 3 children, Giana, Mia, and Paul. Alaina states that “With a breakfast and lunch focused restaurant we hope to implement more of a balance into our work-home life.” Maria adds, “To keep the kids from growing up in the kitchen, much like we did.”
Despite this being their first restaurant, these two are hardly new to the industry. They both began their journey into culinary arts in South Fort Myers at the Taste of New York and Bella Rosa. These businesses were both family-owned, giving memories, lessons, and a strong foundation for their newly established business, Rise & Grind Cafe. The cafe’ even shares a patio with their brother’s establishment, Alex Basile’s, own “The Saucy Meatball”.
Maria and Alaina remind us of the importance of family, but the necessity of health and balance. The Rise & Grind Cafe is located at 12401 Commerce Lakes Dr. Unit 2, Fort Myers, FL 33913
Hours are Mon-Fri 7AM-3PM and Sat-Sun 8AM-2PM. Phone 239-362-3456 for take-out. Visit them online at www.RiseAndGrindFtMyers.com
