Our Story

OUR BEGINNINGS

Jim and Linda Werkheiser had always dreamed of being part of something meaningful—something that would bring people together and leave a lasting mark on the community around them.

After spending many years living and working in the Northeast, they eventually made their way to Bonita Springs, ready to slow down, enjoy the sunshine, and settle into retirement near the beach. But retirement didn’t stay quiet for very long.

After a few years of getting to know the area, dining around town, and becoming part of the local community, Jim and Linda began to feel that something was missing. Bonita needed the kind of neighborhood bar and grill that felt less like a restaurant and more like home—a true “Cheers”-style gathering place where locals could walk through the door and immediately feel welcome. A place where the staff knew your name, remembered your favorite drink, and where the person sitting beside you might start as a stranger and leave as a friend.

Jim saw an opportunity to create exactly that.

Not long after, he purchased a local pub and poured his vision, hard work, and personality into transforming it into what would become the Bonita Beach Balloon Bar & Grill.

Since 2018, Jim and Linda became as much a part of the Balloon as the building itself. On nearly any day of the week, guests could walk in and find them sitting in their familiar spots at the bar, quietly taking in the place they had created. There might be a friendly wave, a warm smile, or a simple hello, but everyone who spent time at the Balloon knew how deeply they cared about the people who walked through its doors.

To Jim and Linda, the Balloon was never simply a business. It was their gathering place, their community, and an extended family made up of employees, regulars, visitors, and friends. They took tremendous pride in watching friendships form, celebrations take place, and generations of families return again and again.

Sadly, Linda said her final farewell in December 2024. Jim continued carrying their shared love for the Balloon until his passing in July 2026.

Although they are no longer sitting in their familiar seats at the bar, their presence can still be felt throughout the Balloon. Their vision lives on in every familiar face, every cold drink shared among friends, every laugh across the bar, and every guest who walks through the door and feels a little more at home.

THE NEXT CHAPTER

After Jim and Linda’s passing, the story of the Balloon entered a new chapter with their granddaughter, Bri, and her husband, Ryan, proudly stepping in to carry it forward.

For Bri and Ryan, the Bonita Beach Balloon Bar & Grill is far more than a restaurant. It is a piece of their family’s history, a place filled with memories, and a legacy they feel incredibly honored to continue. They understand just how much the Balloon meant to Jim and Linda—and how much it has come to mean to the employees, regulars, visitors, and friends who have made it their home away from home over the years.

Bri brings a background in business, marketing, branding, and restaurant operations, while Ryan brings creativity, technology experience, and an uncanny ability to find a solution to just about any problem. Together, they make a strong team, blending new ideas and fresh energy with a deep respect for everything Jim and Linda worked so hard to build.

Their vision is not to change what made the Balloon special, but to build upon it—to preserve the warm, familiar, “Cheers”-style atmosphere Jim and Linda always imagined while continuing to grow, improve, and create new reasons for people to walk through the doors.

As parents of three boys, Bri and Ryan also understand the importance of having a place where people of all ages can feel comfortable and welcome. Whether it is a family stopping in for a meal, longtime regulars gathering at the bar, friends meeting for happy hour, or visitors discovering the Balloon for the very first time, they want everyone to feel like they belong.

At its heart, their goal is simple: to honor the past while continuing to build the future—to protect the spirit of the Balloon, create new memories alongside the old ones, and make sure it remains a place filled with good food, cold drinks, laughter, and familiar faces for many years to come.

Jim and Linda started the story. Bri and Ryan are proud to continue it.