SWFL.io - Local NewsBritt Leoni
•7/18/2026
Off 1617 Hendry St. in downtown Fort Myers, behind what seems solely to be a taco joint, lies more than meets the eye.
A place that takes us back in time.
"Escondido means 'hidden,'" said Brad Cozza. "Okay, we're onto something."
Cozza is the owner of Escondido Lounge, a speakeasy with a 1920's feel.
"I fell in love with it," said Brad. "I became addicted to the idea of how to make it truly on brand."
Speakeasies, legal today, were once illicit. They became popular across the U.S. in the 1920's, after Congress banned booze.
"It was the real Prohibition where stuff was underground, literally," said Cozza. "You had to have a secret password to get in, just because it was the dry age."
Christopher Balzano, a tour guide of downtown Fort Myers. Balzano says the Royal Palm Pharmacy downtown, run by RQ Richards, was one of the popular speakeasies of that time.
"His sons ran the pharmacies out of the two different corners of downtown Fort Myers," said Balzano.
One of those pharmacies was in the same building as Escondido is in today.
"There were names like Thomas Edison, Connie Mack, and Ty Cobb that all came through these doors," said Cozza. "So we wanted to even double down on that history."
Cozza wants to pay homage to that history, and he also recognizes the role that speakeasies played in the evolution of mixology.
"They were getting all this bootleg liquor that was tasting horrible," said Cozza. "They said, alright, doctor this up a little bit, make it taste more attractive."
Over a century after Fort Myers' own hidden bars operated in secret, Escondido hopes to prove the history, mystery, and thrill of discovery can still draw people in.
"To see people's faces when they leave and to see their reaction when they come through the door," said Cozza. "That's what keeps us going."
Escondido Lounge has two locations: one in downtown Fort Myers, and one in Cape Coral. You can learn more about Escondido Lounge here.