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'Labor of love' behind success of Ted's Montana Grill in Estero

By LIANE SMITH (Contact)

Wednesday, December 27, 2006

Frequent visitors of Coconut Point shopping complex are finding comfort in the food at Ted's Montana Grill.

The concept of the founders, media guru and rancher Ted Turner, and LongHorn Steakhouse creator, George McKerrow Jr., is classic American comfort food made from scratch.

Photo by LIANE SMITH / Banner

Tom and Cindy Davis, of Bonita Springs, enjoy a before noon lunch last Friday at Ted's Montana Grill.

Kreg Kimmons, proprietor of Ted's in Estero, said: "There's no microwave in this place."

Dressings and even the bar's Bloody Mary mix is made from scratch. And, the only thing in the restaurant's one freezer? Ice cream.

"From 7 (a.m.) to 11 (p.m.), we're cooking," Kimmons said. "It's a very, very, labor of love intensive concept. We have a recipe for everything."

immons joined the chain of grills, which now includes close to 50 restaurants in places like Atlanta, New York City and Columbus, two years ago.

Stepping into Ted's feels like stepping into an old ranch house saloon. Turner, one of the founders, has 14 ranches in Colorado, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma and South Dakota.

In keeping with the restaurant's theme, real mahogany paneling embraces high back booths, while pendant lighting bounces off pressed tin ceilings.

On the menu, guests can choose from classic American comfort foods like pot roast and bison meatloaf.

Photo by LIANE SMITH / Banner

The kitchen at Ted's Montana Grill, in the newly opened Coconut Point, is open for view by guests.

Bison burgers, a favorite of two-time diners, Bonitans Tom and Cindy Davis, is ground up buffalo — a specialty of Ted's Montana Grill ground fresh in-house.

"It's very good," Cindy Davis said. "Bison tastes just as good as regular hamburger and it's supposed to be healthier." According to Kimmons, bison is high in iron and leaner than chicken.

"I had the bison," said Ray Wall, of Bonita Springs. "I love it. It's delicious."

Wall dined at Ted's Montana grill last Friday for lunch for the first time. "I love their little pickles," Wall added, pointing to a small bowl of half sours (cut-up cucumbers) marinated for a day or two from scratch, in-house of course.

Pecan-crusted rainbow trout is another featured entrée. According to Kimmons, the rainbow trout is caught and filleted and then flown in from Colorado overnight.

On any given shift, close to a dozen cooks surround the kitchen prepping food and making small batches of items like slow-roasted pork, country-style green beans and parmesan creamed spinach.

"We really try to wow every guest that comes in," Kimmons said. Ted's hopes to cater to both year-long residents and seasonal residents, equally, according to Kimmons. Currently, the restaurant is serving about 5,000 guests a week.

"We live to serve," Kimmons commented.

The restaurant hired 40 to 45 employees out of a hotel before Ted's opened six weeks ago. Now the restaurant employs more than 100 people part-and full-time. Regardless of the number of hours worked, after a probationary period all employees are eligible for 401-K and insurance benefits.

"We take care of our employees," Kimmons said. On a corporate level, Ted's Montana Grill also strives to take care of the environment. All Ted's are eco-friendly restaurants. "Menus are printed using recycled paper, no plastics are used in the restaurant and soft drinks are served in recyclable glass bottles," its Web site, www.tedsmontanagrill.com, stated. "We don't want to be good, we want to be great," Kimmons said.

If you go

Want to dine at Ted's Montana Grill?

• Location: 8017 Plaza Del Lago Drive, Coconut Point in Estero, off U.S. 41.

• Hours: Monday through Sunday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.

• Average price: $15 per person for lunch and $22 per person for dinner.

• Phone number: 947-9318.

• Web site: www.tedsmontanagrill.com