Scheeler opened and ran two restaurants on Marco Island before retiring to Costa Rica.
There, he met and married wife, Judy, and the itch to do something motivated him to return to Collier County. Scheeler knew that he no longer had a taste for the long hours of running a dinner venue. He saw a space for sale and decided to open a breakfast and lunch place.
The menu is mostly American fare. "Comfort food, I call it," Scheeler said.
But here and there are Scheeler's favorite dishes from his travels. He was in England 15 years ago and fell in love with shepard's pie. The beef, carrots and peas, baked with mashed potatoes on top, is one of Scheeler's favorite dishes to emerge from the Friends Cafe kitchen. In addition to finding love in Costa Rica, Scheeler found a great recipe for red beans and rice served with salsa and bread.
For the most part, however, at Friends Cafe folks can order a custom omelette, crab cake Benedict or buttermilk pancakes, for example, until 2:30 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. For lunch, options like cobb salad, fried, grilled or cajun-style grouper sandwich or a classic burger keep guests coming back for more. Lunch is served beginning at 11:00 a.m. until 2:30 p.m.
"It's chef owned and operated," said Scheeler. "Everything is home made."
Friends Cafe is located at 11250 Tamiami Trail East. For more information call 793-3545.