VoyageTampa

Published October 28, 2025

Community Highlights: Meet Sandy Stilwell Youngquist of Stilwell Enterprises & Restaurant Group

Today we’d like to introduce you to Sandy Stilwell Youngquist.

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?

Gosh, if you googled me you would learn the various aspects. My businesses are mostly located on Captiva Island, but in 2022 I purchased a restaurant located on Boca Grande and it’s located in the Historic train station. It still has the original vault from when the trains would come and go. I’m very involved in charities and business organizations. I’m on two national boards and have written a book, Resilient Spirit. It’s a book on resiliency and entrepreneurship.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?

There have been many rough roads. I’ve been through many hurricanes, but Hurricane Ian totally closed down all of my businesses, which were six restaurants, an Inn, and three shopping centers. We were almost ready to open the fourth restaurant when Hurricanes Helene and Milton came through and knocked us out once again. I was back to being totally out of business.

We are now almost all open. Only one restaurant to go and my Inn is breaking ground on construction after having to be torn down. We just keep moving forward on step at a time. When you are the leader, it’s up to us to set the tone and I have great staff that have stayed with me throughout this.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?

Well, I’ve already said quite a bit. The Keylime Bistro is my most proud brand. It is my first restaurant that I’ve owned. I opened the one on Captiva Island in 2001, on Boca Grande in 2022 and I am about to open the third location at the RSW Regional Southwest International Airport,(Ft Myers) in November of this year. We have the best Key Lime Pie and we will also be selling it to take home at the airport.

We love surprises, fun facts and unexpected stories. Is there something you can share that might surprise us?

I have all minority managers. I didn’t plan it that way, it just worked out that way. They started out at entry level and they worked their way up. I don’t see color, I see work ethic, good customer service, and good attitudes. I am 100% the owner and started my first business when I was 17.

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