Heyday Cookshop Pushes Boundaries in the Naples’ Culinary Scene
Never let it be said that Chef Kayla Pfeiffer plays it safe. Innovation has been a core principle throughout her career. And there is no better example of her willingness to take bold swings than Heyday Cookshop, which opened in April of 2026.
Heyday essentially combines three concepts: restaurant, chef residency, and a combination bar and hi-fi listening room. But within each of those general categories are quirky details, whimsical diversions, and delightful surprises that, combined, make each visit to Heyday Cookshop a unique multi-sensory experience — one that’s built around great food and drink, friendly service, and fun.
There’s nothing stuffy about this eatery, which is located five miles north of downtown Naples and three-and-a-half miles south of Pfeiffer's other popular restaurant: Bicyclette Cookshop, which was recently named a 2026 Michelin Guide Restaurant Selection.
“I think Heyday is important for this area because it pushes boundaries,” Pfeiffer says. “It’s unapologetically itself in the best ways.”
At Heyday, you’re all but certain to see dishes on the menu you’ve never heard of, with combinations of ingredients you’ve never considered. Some highlights are Trotters & Collards Dumplings (which includes collard greens prepared five different ways), Snapper en Epsis (which includes the exotic Asian fruit Buddha Hand), and — perhaps Pfeiffer’s favorite — the Peking Duck Snack Wrap. “Usually you have to pre-order a Peking duck,” Pfeiffer says. “We wanted to make it a simple hand-held, one-person dish.”
While the menu has a few mainstays, it’s constantly changing — according to what’s available from local fishermen and farmers, as well as what a guest chef is serving. The residency program may be the most unique aspect of Heyday. “The concept evolved over time,” Pfeiffer says. “I was traveling a lot and meeting different chefs and really wanting to, selfishly, learn more myself.”
Pfeiffer aims high, enlisting James Beard nominees and semifinalists, or Michelin-recognized cooks. Guest chefs have included Jorge Luis Pabón from Mili in New York City, Pablo Zitzman from Zitz Sum in Coral Gables, and barbecue wizard Brandon Olson from Charleston.
“When a resident chef comes in, they’re going to feature five dishes they’re most comfortable with,” Pfeiffer says. “We’re going to have our staple menu, of course, but the menu overall is going to be a little bit smaller.”
The cookshop’s centerpiece is a large open kitchen. “We want it to be like a show,” Pfeiffer says, “where visitors are part of it every night. It puts a little bit of pressure on the kitchen — for the staff to present themselves well, to interact with each other the right way. But also to have fun, right? We don’t want to be in a high-stress situation, which at times this job can be. If a guest wants to lean over and ask a question to the chefs, we’ll be more than happy to answer. They don’t necessarily have to ask the server.”
Heyday’s beverage program revolves around another idiosyncratic choice: vermouth. “My business partner and I sat down for this dinner and the server said, “What kind of vermouth would you like?’” Pfeiffer recalls. “And we were just taken aback. Typically, you don’t start with vermouth, right? And it was one of the best dining experiences we ever had. And we wanted to wow our guests in the same way.”
The restaurant offers eight types of vermouth — from California, Italy and Spain. The drink menu also includes several craft cocktails and a wine list that focuses on natural wines and small-production bottles.
Completing the one-of-a-kind experience at Heyday the listening bar. “My inspiration was going to Japan and being in these small bars with maybe 10 or 12 people,” Pfeiffer explains. “And we wanted to create a small bar, where you could have 20 seats, where you could enjoy and meet new people.”
Key to the concept are vinyl LPs spinning on turntables, with impeccable acoustics. You’ll hear everything from jazz to R&B to punk. “Food, wine, beer, cocktails, music — they all go hand-in-hand,” she explains.
Pfeiffer has gained her share of recognition on the national stage — as a winner of Food Network’s Chopped competition, as a competitor on Guy Fieri’s Flavortown Food Fight, among other TV appearances. The Michelin Guide’s recognition for Bicyclette Cookshop came in the first year Naples was even considered for the guide’s honors.
Pfeiffer is committed to Naples and is bullish on the city’s culinary scene. “People ask me from time to time, ‘Why Naples?’,” she says. “But the real question is, ‘Why not Naples?’ I truly believe Naples is developing in so many different ways, and the hospitality scene is thriving at an all-time high.”
To push your dining boundaries and make a reservation for Heyday Cookshop, click here.