From Michelin recognition and beloved local comebacks to major national chains eyeing expansion, Sarasota’s restaurant scene continues to create buzz as summer heats up.
Three Sarasota eateries earned their first-ever mentions in the prestigious Michelin Guide, while a longtime favorite sandwich shop reopened at a new location to enthusiastic crowds.
Coffee concepts continued their rapid growth with new locations, and a couple of popular chains moved closer to possible Sarasota County locations.
Meanwhile, local operators continued expanding their footprints, and some of the area’s most anticipated projects, including a Michael Jordan-backed private restaurant and club, took significant steps toward opening.
Continue reading for the biggest restaurant openings, honors and other notable developments from the Sarasota dining scene this past month.
Three Sarasota restaurants earn Michelin recognition
The famed MICHELIN Guide, which has been spotlighting some of the world’s best restaurants and hotels for more than a century, has finally added a few Sarasota dining spots.
Lucky 8, located at 1812 S. Osprey Ave. in Sarasota’s Southside Village, earned a Bib Gourmand designation, which recognizes restaurants that offer strong quality and good value. Chef and co-owner Mark Majorie’s Lucky 8 is a love letter to the Cajun comfort food of his native New Orleans.
Fresh off winning the Herald-Tribune’s best pizza restaurants in Sarasota poll that concluded in April, Tralia was added to the MICHELIN Guide under its recommended category, listed as “Selected” on the guide’s website. Last year’s runner-up in our best pizza poll, Tralia began as a popular pop-up before opening its brick-and-mortar location at 6566 Gateway Ave. in Gulf Gate.
Focaccia Sandwich + Bakery, at 2300 Bee Ridge Road in Sarasota, also earned a spot in the MICHELIN Guide under its recommended category. — Wade Tatangelo
A’s Giant Sandwiches reopens in Sarasota
A beloved Sarasota County restaurant with roots dating back to the 1960s recently reopened at a new location.
Loyal fans have flocked to A’s Giant Sandwiches since it debuted its new spot, adjacent to Moondoggy’s Saloon at 2230 Gulf Gate Drive in Sarasota. About a decade ago Bryan Anderson bought the prior location at 6300 Tamiami Trail in Sarasota and ran it with his wife Alysia Anderson, with his mom and Alysia’s mom, Patti O’Neil, at the front counter.
The Andersons are the fourth family to own the shop since it was opened by the Artigas family in the early 1960s. After that, A’s Giant Sandwiches was operated by the White family and two generations of the Wetjen family.
Once as many as a half dozen family-owned Giant Sandwiches locations were open in the area though the shop on Tamiami Trail — there since 1979 — was the last one. Ownership of the 15,855-square-foot parcel with the 1950s area commercial building changed hands in 2024. — Earle Kimel
Mama G’s opens new Sarasota area locations
A bakery and coffee shop that’s been in Sarasota for more than a decade has expanded with new locations and a relocation in recent months, while an Indian restaurant is preparing to open in its former South Trail space.
In the past six months, Mama G’s German Bakery and Coffeehouse has opened new locations in University Town Center at 8211 Tourist Center Drive in December and in Venice at 2141 S. Tamiami Trail in May, and moved from its previous Sarasota South Trail space to a new Gulf Gate location at 6568 Superior Ave. in late April.
Mama G’s originally opened in 2015 at 8431 N. Tamiami Trail, near Sarasota Bradenton International Airport and University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee, where it remains open. It also has two Pinellas County locations in St. Petersburg and Kenneth City.
The space Mama G’s vacated at 4413 S. Tamiami Trail has already been leased, with the location listed for sale through Ian Black Real Estate for $2.05 million. Michele Fuller, a Realtor with Ian Black Real Estate, noted that the future tenant is a regional Indian restaurant with a three-year lease, though there is no set opening date, because the interior must be renovated. — EK, Jimmy Geurts
Whataburger may open Sarasota County location
Sarasota County may be one step closer to getting its first Whataburger. The Texas-based burger chain is expected to open its doors in the developing Venice Crossing Commercial Center.
This now-rumored location is not the first time Whataburger has tried to establish a store in Sarasota County. In 2024, the burger joint appeared before the Sarasota City Development Review Committee with plans for a store in the former location of Café Baci in Sarasota; however, the plans were never approved. Whataburger announced a Bradenton location in 2025, but no major updates have been made.
On April 30, Whataburger opened its third Tampa Bay area location in Brandon. The Venice Crossing Commercial Center is still in the approval process, but if this Whataburger opens, it will be the southernmost location in Florida. — Michaela Galligan
Texas Roadhouse may open another Sarasota County location
A popular national restaurant chain may be eyeing another possible Sarasota County location. Texas Roadhouse is also being considered for the developing Venice Crossing Commercial Center.
In addition to Texas Roadhouse, several other food chains are being discussed to join the development, including Chick-fil-A, Whataburger and Chipotle. However, none of these locations currently has applications under review.
The potential Venice Crossing location would be the second to open in Sarasota County, as a site plan has also been approved for a location in North Port. The closest location is currently on the Manatee County side of Lakewood Ranch. — MG
Former Solorzano’s locations rebrand as Costello’s in Sarasota
The founder of Solorzano’s Pizza, whose business drew attention about five years ago over politically themed pizzas, sold his flagship Sarasota restaurant in Gulf Gate and one on Longboat Key to his general manager, who renamed them in honor of a loved one.
When Kenny Palin took ownership, he renamed the restaurants Costello’s Neighborhood Pizza after his grandmother, Margaret “Peggy” Costello. His two new restaurants are the former Solorzano’s pizza restaurants at 6574 Superior Ave., Sarasota and 5610 Gulf of Mexico Drive, Longboat Key.
Former owner Phil Solorzano and current owner Palin earned notoriety in 2021 by selling pizzas with controversial toppings that spelled out criticism of then-President Joe Biden.
Solorzano recently purchased the former Johnny Tomatoes at 5808 S. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota. — EK
Michael Jordan-backed 1000 North expands ahead of Sarasota opening
A private club and restaurant co-founded by basketball icon Michael Jordan is expanding its downtown Sarasota footprint before even opening.
Members-only 1000 North, which first opened in Palm Beach County and is expected to debut its Sarasota location in October at the BLVD building at 520 N. Tamiami Trail, recently closed on an adjacent property, according to chief operating officer Alex Elshimy. The property at 1290 Boulevard of the Arts adds just over 10,500 square feet to 1000 North’s already planned approximately 13,000-square-foot space.
The original 1000 North opened in Jupiter in 2018 with founding partners including Jordan, golfer Ernie Els, former New York Giant Tucker Frederickson and Wine Spectator magazine publisher Marvin Shanken. Jordan is no stranger to Sarasota. At the height of his basketball fame in the 1990s, he trained with the Chicago White Sox during spring training in Sarasota.
The Sarasota 1000 North’s two-level space will include private dining rooms, a dedicated wine lounge, members’ wine and liquor lockers, and an upstairs lounge. The menu will feature prime steaks, seafood and seasonal ingredients, complemented by selections curated by traditional wine sommeliers. — JG
Mister O1 Extraordinary Pizza opens in University Town Center
Shortly after the Sarasota restaurant scene received its debut Michelin Guide recognition, a Michelin-recommended pizzeria from Miami Beach has joined its ranks.
Mister O1 Extraordinary Pizza opened June 23 in University Town Center at 5231 University Parkway Suite 111 in The Market at UTC. It is the first Sarasota area location for Mister O1, which was founded by Italian chef Renato Viola, who came to Miami Beach under the O-1 Visa category for “individuals with extraordinary ability or achievement,” hence its name.
Mister O1 now has locations across Florida, as well as currently operating or soon-to-open locations in Georgia, North Carolina and Texas. Mister O1 is known for its dough that is fermented for at least 72 hours and pizzas such as the Star Luca, a star-shaped pizza filled with ricotta, mozzarella, tomato sauce, spicy salami calabrese and basil, and the Coffee Paolo, made with tomato sauce, mozzarella, gorgonzola blue cheese, natural honey, coffee and spicy salami calabrese.
The menu also features classic pizzas such as the Bella Margherita, calzones, salads, a burrata bar and desserts such as an Nutella Pizza. The 2,200-square-foot UTC restaurant offers indoor dining and outdoor patio seating. — JG
Buddy Brew Coffee to open inside Sarasota Sprouts Farmer Market
The Sarasota Sprouts Farmers Market location on South Tamiami Trail will be among the first in the region to feature a Buddy Brew Coffee café inside the store, as part of a new partnership between Sprouts and Tampa-based roaster Buddy Brew.
The Buddy Brew inside Sprouts at 8330 S. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, is scheduled to open in late summer. The store enhancement is part of Sprouts’ broader rollout of in-store coffee bars featuring Buddy Brew branding and menus. The concept blends grocery shopping with café-style service, offering customers specialty drinks and grab-and-go food inside the store.
Buddy Brew already operates a separate café in downtown Sarasota at 1289 N. Palm Ave., on the first floor of the Palm Avenue parking garage next door to the restaurant Kojo. The Sprouts in downtown Sarasota is located about one mile east at 111 Links Ave., on the first floor of the Links tower in the twin-tower Aster & Links luxury apartment community overlooking Main Street.
Sprouts told the Herald-Tribune there are no plans to open a Buddy Brew location at 111 Links Ave. — Samantha Gholar
Foxtail Coffee Co. opens in downtown Sarasota’s The Quay
A new downtown Sarasota coffee shop has opened, serving fresh drinks and a full breakfast and lunch menu at the revitalized Quay.
Foxtail Coffee Co., based in Orlando, has been opening stores across the state and country since 2016, and has become a favorite of coffee lovers along the way. The company opened its first location in Sarasota County at University Town Center in December 2023, and the second café in the county opened at 468 Quay Commons, Suite G., on June 17.
The Quay has been a landmark of Sarasota’s waterfront since 1985, first serving as an entertainment center and now converting to a luxury, mixed-use district. The center is currently home to apartments and restaurants, including Ocean Prime, and now Foxtail Coffee Co. — MG
Happy Clams and Hams opens in Sarasota
A popular Siesta Key seafood restaurant and market has expanded into Sarasota, with a similar concept but a different name and some new offerings.
Happy Clams and Hams opened June 8 at 4110 Bee Ridge Road, said Scott Dolan, who owns the restaurant, seafood market and deli along with Carlyle Veale and Brian Paetsch. Dolan also owns Big Water Fish Market, which has operated on Siesta Key at Midnight Pass Road for about 15 years.
Like Big Water, Happy Clams and Hams features both a seafood market and restaurant menu with fish sandwiches, raw bar offerings and more. Yet as the new business’ name suggests, it also offers a wider selection of non-seafood, deli-style sandwiches than Big Water.
Sandwiches include seafood options such as the Big Water Grouper Sandwich or the Fenway Park Lobster Roll; Italian subs such as the Carlito’s Way with ham, prosciutto, salami, fresh mozzarella, lettuce, tomato, onion and sweet and hot peppers with oil and vinegar on a roll; and other sandwich staples such as a Reuben, Cuban or muffuletta. The menu also features appetizers and raw bar offerings including oysters or ceviche, as well as salads and soups. — JG
Shore moves closer to reopening on St. Armands Circle in Sarasota
After closing because of extensive flooding from hurricanes Helene and Milton, one of Sarasota’s best-known restaurants and retail destinations is one step closer to returning to St. Armands Circle, where it operated for about 15 years.
Representatives of the Shore Restaurant property on St. Armands Circle recently filed a redevelopment plan with the city of Sarasota that would renovate part of the existing commercial building, demolish another and construct a new three-story mixed-use building. The new structure would house a restaurant, cafe, retail space and one residential unit.
Shore opened on St. Armands about 15 years ago, later adding locations on Longboat Key (also comprising a restaurant and retail space) and Disney Springs (offering retail only). The 2024 hurricane season, which caused major flooding on St. Armands Circle, was the driving reason for Shore’s departure from the Circle. — EK, MG, JG
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This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Big changes continue across Sarasota’s restaurant scene
Reporting by Jimmy Geurts, Earle Kimel, Wade Tatangelo, Michaela Galligan and Samantha Gholar, Sarasota Herald-Tribune / Sarasota Herald-Tribune
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Jimmy Geurts, Earle Kimel, Wade Tatangelo, Michaela Galligan and Samantha Gholar, Sarasota Herald-Tribune | USA TODAY Network
