University Town Center continues to grow, with a dozen new brands preparing to open across the sprawling shopping and dining district, led by a major home furnishings retailer making its Sarasota-area debut.
The latest expansion adds roughly 86,000 square feet of new retail, restaurant and service space and includes IKEA’s upcoming opening, new fitness and wellness concepts, specialty retail and several new dining options.
Together, the additions continue UTC’s evolution beyond a traditional mall, expanding its mix of shopping, dining and entertainment offerings.
West Elm, which specializes in modern furniture and home decor including custom upholstery options, is coming to an 18,000-square-foot space currently under construction, adjacent to L.L. Bean in The West District at UTC.
The UTC shop will be the brand’s eighth store in Florida. Currently, the closest store is the West Elm at Cocoanut Point in Estero.
IKEA, the global home furnishings giant known for ready-to-assemble furnishings and Swedish meatballs, is set to open this summer.
Two new restaurants, Blu Kouzina and Kitchen Social, opened in the West District at UTC.
A popular Greek restaurant on Sarasota’s St. Armands Circle, Blu Kouzina is located at 295 N. Cattlemen Road, Unit 4, adjacent to Ford’s Garage.
Ohio-based Kitchen Social opened its first restaurant outside of that state at 257 N. Cattlemen Road, Unit 81, in the former space of Rusty Bucket Restaurant and Tavern.
What services and stores are coming?
The Swedish Bite cafe will serve favorites like Swedish meatballs, veggie dogs, and cinnamon buns.
What are the new dining options coming?
What’s new in the Mall at UTC?
Unlike a traditional Dick’s Sporting Goods store, House of Sport locations are built around hands-on experiences — think rock-climbing walls, batting cages, golf simulators and large-scale yoga and Pilates classes.
They also feature multi-sport cages where shoppers can actually try out gear before they buy it.
What’s unique about UTC?
Located off I-75 and University Parkway on the border of Sarasota and Manatee counties, UTC spans more than 4 million square feet and features more than 250 specialty stores and 80 restaurants, as well as more than 250,000 square feet of Class A office space.
The destination also hosts more than 400 community events annually on The Green at UTC, ranging from fitness classes and outdoor markets to family movie nights and seasonal celebrations. For more information on University Town Center, visit utcsarasota.com.
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This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Sarasota’s UTC is adding major new stores, restaurants
Reporting by Earle Kimel, Jimmy Geurts, Wade Tatangelo and Samantha Gholar, Sarasota Herald-Tribune / Sarasota Herald-Tribune
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Earle Kimel, Jimmy Geurts, Wade Tatangelo and Samantha Gholar, Sarasota Herald-Tribune | USA TODAY Network
