Survey Cafe on Facebook |
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The Survey Café History
They started with a list…it had to be reflective of Bonita’s History, clean, have great food, have great friendly employees, be surrounded by lush vegetation and outdoor seating, be eco-friendly and be a place that everyone felt comfortable… just being there. They adopted the name Survey from the original name of Bonita Springs, which was a camp for survey crews long ago. The home, which has been lovingly and painstakingly restored, (with some modern touches) is a great example of the wood frame homes built in the 20’s through the 40’s. The Survey Café has become the gathering place that Ben and Lori have hoped for. There is always an antique hand tool, historic local photograph, or unique original local art piece hanging on the walls, and generally there’s a “local” there to tell you about it. It is a place where friends and neighbors gather, business people meet and use the free Wi-Fi, and a place where new friends are made. And you can always get an update on what’s happening in Downtown Springs. Welcome to Downtown Bonita and Welcome to the Survey Café, your Café …relax and stay a while. History of SurveyThe Survey Café is in a historic home built in the heart of old Bonita. The name Survey comes from Bonita’s history. In the 1870's, government surveyors in a remote part of Southwest Florida pitched camp near a medicinal spring, which the local Indians believed could heal the sick. After the crew left, the site became known as Survey. The stream became known as Surveyor's Creek.In 1912, a Tennessean named Ragsdale (a land developer) and a group of investors purchased 2400 acres around Survey. He and his associate, Dan Farnsworth, surveyed the area and laid out a small town with streets and avenues named for potential buyers. The developers decided that the name, Survey, lacked sales appeal, so the town was renamed Bonita Springs; Indian Spring Branch became the Oak Creek; and Surveyor's Creek was renamed the Imperial River. |
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The Survey Café is a result of its owners, Lori and Ben Nelson, love for good food, good coffee, good friends, comfortable surroundings and Downtown Bonita Springs. They knew that Downtown Bonita would be the perfect area and that the old 1940’s home on Wilson Street would be cozy and comfortable.