Cape Coral’s Dixie Roadhouse Gets New Owners Who Plan Improvements

Bob Taft and Mike McCaffrey bought Dixie Roadhouse in Cape Coral on Sept. 18, 2025. The spot at 1023 S.E. 47th Terrace will keep its name but will see big changes.

"It's been my second home for 14 years," said Lynn Pippenger, according to Fox 4. She and her husband, David Townsend, turned this spot into a must-visit place since 2011.

The new owners have big plans. "We're gonna be adding a patio out in front. I plan to have that open seven days a week," Taft said. "And then next year, we're looking at getting the rooftop reopen, which will have a large bar on it, and fun games."

The choice to sell came after hard times. Townsend, age 70, and Lynn Pippenger started thinking about it during COVID-19. "The pandemic gave us permission to think about what we really wanted," Pippenger said per Cape Coral Breeze.

Blake Shelton played here in 2013. Now DJs spin tunes three nights each week.

McCaffrey moves south as managing partner. The Tafts run six spots in Chicago, with two more coming soon. They picked Southwest Florida as their new base to grow bigger.

"The legacy is really important to me, because knowing David and Lynn for 30 years... keeping this legacy alive is important to me," McCaffrey said.

The doors stay open through the switch. The price stays private. Before 2011, the building sat empty five years until the Pippengers brought it back to life.