Kretch's Restaurant History

A Marco Island Treasure

Locally and family-owned since 1986, Kretch's Restaurant has become an integral part of beautiful Marco Island. The family-friendly restaurant offers the finest in fresh seafood and prime meats at budget-conscious prices. Every dish receives special attention from Owner/Chef Bruce Kretschmer.

Kretch's Restaurant opened its doors on October 26th, 1986. Bruce and Ellen Kretschmer bought the existing Mancuso's Deli located in 'Old Marco,' tucked between Cafe De Marco and The Old Marco Inn. Some of you will remember the deli, as well as Jack's Gone Bananas, where you could buy freshly squeezed orange and grapefruit juice.

Bruce and Ellen Kretschmer's Dream

The transformation from Mancuso's to Kretch's Restaurant took six months. Bruce and Ellen did most of the work themselves, searching for used kitchen equipment to convert the prep area into a small kitchen. The inside of the deli was turned into a quaint dining room and air conditioning was installed. The existing porch was updated and remained an outside dining area.

Something for Everyone

The menu was created from scratch with an eye toward including something for every taste. Local seafood, prime steaks, and BBQ ribs immediately became customer favorites and remain that way today. Bruce enjoys smoking the ribs himself and prides himself on his collection of grills and smokers. Bread is baked fresh on the premises daily and seafood is delivered fresh six days a week.

In October, 1994 Kretch's Restaurant's lease wasn’t renewed and after searching the island, the current location on Bald Eagle Dr. was chosen. The move took less than a week as a modern kitchen and dining room were already in place.

In May of 2009, Kretch's Restaurant expanded with the addition of a new bar, increasing capacity by over 20 seats. it now has three televisions with DirecTV Sports Package, and happy hour specials are run daily.

The owners are very involved and know all the regular customers' names. Many of the servers have been here for over ten years, some over twenty. With over 3 million meals served over the years, the Kretschmer family is looking forward to serving many more.