Naples Originals was founded in 2007 by a group of restaurants to protect, nurture and promote independent restaurants in Collier County. The organization now comprises 40 restaurants. Each restaurant shares a commitment to our community, and possesses originality of ambiance, distinctive menu appropriate to your restaurant, and passion for a consistent excellence in food and service.

We brand our independent restaurants as a group and educate our community through an active marketing program that helps us compete against larger corporations with significant marketing budgets. Not only do we work to educate our community about our independent restaurants, but we also give back to the community through proceeds raised from our special events and from our contributions of dining certificates to many fundraisers for local charities.

Naples Originals Membership Requirements
Naples Originals’ members comply with membership in the following ways:

  • be in continuous operation for a minimum of three years;
  • be located in Collier County;
  • be referred by a member restaurant and approved by the advisory board;
  • donate $2,600 in gift certificates annually in $50, $25 or $15 denominations to be sold quarterly;
  • demonstrate an ability to sell their inventory of Naples Originals gift certificates;
  • participate in at least one Naples Originals’ promotion per year;
  • uphold the quality of Naples Originals, allowing for diversity and inclusiveness;
  • adhere to the demands of diners for cleanliness, honesty and value (though no restriction to membership applies to pricing or discounting);
  • embody and express authenticity of ambiance, cuisine, location, and personality of ownership. An “only in Naples” ethos is applied to members to ensure differentiation from chain restaurants.

Marketing Benefits
Upon becoming a Naples Originals member, we will work with you to secure images, copy, menus, specials, links and other website-appropriate content to place on the site immediately. In addition, we write and distribute a press release to local and regional media announcing your membership, and include your announcement in an email to our 10,000 opted-in email subscribers.

Dining Guide: Our “Dine Out” dining guide is the most popular, sought-after dining guide in Collier County with the 10th edition currently at hotel concierges, visitor centers (Chamber), member restaurants, realtor offices, banks and more! More than 90,000 guides are in distribution. Along with the Naples Originals website, it is especially favored by hotel concierges.

Each Naples Originals member receives a full page in the dining guide, with 100 words of copy and four photographs. Please see the current dining guide here: http://naplesoriginals.com/diningguide.pdf

Vibrant, dynamic website with limitless potential for members to promote their offerings. Members have
their own page on the site, are included in a directory, and by neighborhood. Menus, specials, events, awards, press releases and newsletters, links to restaurant sites and social media all have a place on each member’s page. Naples Originals’ website receives an average of 3,000 visitors per month, which usually includes 1,500- 1900 unique visitors. Following our regular e-blasts, we have in one day approximately 500 unique visitors. 

Special Events/Foodie Camp: In October 2015, Naples Originals launched its annual “Foodie Camp,” a
weeklong series of chef-led cooking class in member restaurants. The event was a sell-out and raised $7,000.

How it works: 
Each restaurant hosts 30-50 students at a class for $50 per person ($60 for evening classes), including the instruction, meal and glass of wine. The restaurant is paid $10 per person. Most restaurants partnered with a wine distributor.

Proceeds benefit the Naples Originals culinary scholarships at FGCU and St. Matthews House.

The 2015 was a sell-out attended by 250+ Naples foodies.

$3,500 was split between two culinary scholarships at Florida Gulf Coast University/

$3,500 was donated to St. Matthews House for its culinary program.

The 2016 Foodie Camp is scheduled for October 17-27.

E-marketing campaign: we have a qualified database of more than 10,000 opted-in diners, and regularly communicate to them with news and promotions.

Monthly consumer newsletter: Naples Foodie News announces new promotions, and includes a restaurant spotlight and foodie news of interest.

Monthly member newsletter: A monthly newsletter for members keeps restaurateurs plugged into the industry both locally and nationally, and provides updates on members’ news.

Publicity: Our local media outlets support all our news and promotions with editorial. New members and quarterly sales are always featured in FYI Food in the Naples Daily News. In 2015, we achieved an eight-page feature in Currents magazine, published by the Chamber of Commerce, and written by Naples Originals founder Lisa Boët.

Tourism Industry: The CVB includes our news in its e-letters and considers Naples Originals as the source for dining in Naples, as do other promoters of Naples tourism such as real estate businesses. Naples Originals is a member of the Naples area Chamber of Commerce, which distributes the dining guide in its center on 5th Avenue South.

Advertising: The “I’m an Original” TV and radio campaign airs during the summer months, a strategy designed to reach locals during slow periods. Each spot includes 3-4 restaurant owners/chefs with a tagline on their originality. Please see: http://naplesoriginals.com/videos/

Customer Service: Beth Preddy serves as a customer service “hot line” for Naples Originals customers and members on any and all issues. Most significantly, should a customer complain or attempt to use the certificate contrary to its terms and conditions, Preddy is phone call or email away to immediately ease the situation to the restaurant’s benefit.

If you are interested in becoming a member, please contact Beth Preddy at bethpreddy@naplesoriginals.com or 239-435-3938.