Fishlips at Port Canaveral Has Thrived Under ‘Captainship’ of Brevard Hospitality and Philanthropy Icon Mike Schwarz

Schwarz Set to Retire, helped shape Fishlips into one of The Cove’s most beloved hangouts

BREVARD COUNTY • PORT CANAVERAL, FLORIDA – A prime location, a solid menu, or even a memorable name will not help a restaurant survive without the right people to run it.

In this highly competitive business, where half of all new restaurants fail within their first year, survival depends on the owners’ ability to lead, to put in the hours, and to work as a team with a staff they believe in.

It is a testament to Mike Schwarz’s “captainship” of Fishlips that the Port Canaveral restaurant not only has withstood two decades but has thrived and continued to grow to such an extent that just a last-minute Facebook post about an upcoming event draws an instant crowd.

“We could never have survived this journey without him,” said Donna Mazzarelli, who, along with Rich Hensel and Schwarz, forms the triumvirate that launched Fishlips in 2004.

Hensel and Mazzarelli will sorely miss Schwarz when he retires, despite Schwarz’s protestations that his departure won’t be a big deal for the restaurant he helped shape into one of The Cove’s most beloved hangouts.

“Nothing is going to change, except that I won’t be here as GM, but I will be here as a regular, so sales should increase,” he joked.

This is actually Mike’s second retirement, for after what he calls a “22-year awesome career” with TGI Friday’s, the Ft. Lauderdale native and self-avowed sun and fun dude, he didn’t take off to the beach but rather embarked on the Fishlips journey with Hensel and Mazzerelli.

Tequila had a little to do with the enterprise, at least with the name.

“We sat around a table with a nice bottle of Patron and finally chose the name Fishlips Waterfront Bar & Grill,” Schwarz said. “We all agreed that you can’t say the name without smiling. We chuckled every time we said it and then couldn’t get it out of our heads.”

Fishlips officially opened September 1, 2004…and promptly closed September 5, 2004, thanks to a fire that Hurricane Frances nudged into happening. A second hurricane, Jeanne, arrived a few days later to make things even worse. Despite these challenges, the fledgling restaurant with the goofy name survived.

“We were able to reopen February 2, 2005, bigger and better,” Schwarz said.

Since that time, he has been a fixture as general manager.

“For the next 20 years, Fishlips has rocked, from the early days of late-night Happy Hours and Ladies Nights, to now being one of the best dinner houses in Brevard serving hot burgers and cold beers with fresh fish and fine wine,” he said.

Schwarz joined the restaurant industry as a busboy 49 years ago at age 17 at Frankie’s Reef in Ft Lauderdale. He never looked back. It was a good move that even provided romance and a family, since during his tenure with TGI Friday’s, he met Susan, now his wife of 36 years. The couple has three daughters and six grandchildren. The grandkids are one of two reasons he wants to retire. The other?

“It’s just about time!” he said.

Schwarz jokes he isn’t really, really retiring.

“I’m just under new management, see the grandchildren for details,” he said. “Our plans are just to take it easy, travel, and spend as much time with family and friends as we can.”

He should now have more time to pursue his passions, including entering triathlons, going paddleboarding, and driving, rather than fixing the Jeeps Schwarz loves to push to their limit.

With Mike, Fishlips gained not just a general manager, but also a chef in the form of Susan. She, too, will bid farewell to Fishlips when Mike retires, although it’s probably safe to say some Fishlips recipes, such as the ever-popular Scallops Risotto, might just make their way into the menu rotation at the Schwarz home.

The couple’s departure still doesn’t mean there won’t be any members of the Schwarz clan working at Fishlips, far from it. Daughters Samantha and Michaela have followed in their parents’ footsteps to continue the Schwarz tradition at Fishlips. Daughter number 3, Jasanna, lives in Ohio with her family, so it would be a stretch for her to join her sisters.

For restaurateurs looking for a recipe for success, Fishlips provides an excellent case example.

In addition to delivering a superior, consistent dining experience from the get-go, Schwarz embedded the restaurant deeply into the community.

DEDICATED PHILANTHROPIST

Through the years, Fishlips has been front and center at multiple community events. One of them is The Cove Merchants’ Association’s Pink Ribbon Walk, an event that has contributed more than $300,000 to the Space Coast Cancer foundations.

“The amount of support we’ve given to high schools, colleges, radio stations, fishing tournaments, and the list goes on and on, all of which have helped contribute to the success,” said Schwarz, who served on the boards of The Cove Merchants’ Association and the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association.

The restaurant long ago ventured beyond the confines of its brick-and-mortar presence to provide residents and tourists alike with memorable experiences at special events.

Fishlips partnered with brevardnightlife.com to create the Brewmasters’ Invitational, Port Canaveral’s first beer festival and teamed up with Rusty’s and others to produce locally sourced dishes for the Port Canaveral Seafood and Music Fest.

The Fishlips management team, along with Kerry Bartlett and Kevin Pruit, run the mighty boat extravaganza known as Thunder on Cocoa Beach, now in its 16th year.

Also, along with Rusty’s, Fishlips created the first “Fireworks in Port Canaveral,” complete with a street party by the Exploration Tower. The East Coast Boat Show, Paws & Pints, Space Coast Art Festival, the list goes on for events in which Fishlips has supported.

After Mike’s departure, Hensel will remain as president of the restaurant. Rich, a former chairman of the Cocoa Beach Chamber Convention and Visitors’ Bureau and a retired chief of the Coast Guard Station in Port Canaveral, owned and operated several successful businesses before Fishlips.

Mazzarelli, who will continue her role as vice president, grew up in her family’s country club business. She worked for SunTrust Bank in corporate trust before deciding to become a full-time entrepreneur in 2000.

So, things will stay the same, but they will also change, because Mike Schwarz won’t be there. Not to worry, he said.

“Fishlips will continue to prosper,” Schwarz said. “Their participation and contribution to the community will not waver.”

Mike is certain Fishlips patrons will happily continue heeding the mantra he himself follows: Eat, drink, dance, laugh. Repeat.

 

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