Progress on Snook Haven — the iconic piece of Old Florida “Smack Dab on the Myakka River” — continues on pace for a summer 2026 grand opening according to a recent social media post from Sarasota County.
Sarasota County started an $8.75 million makeover of the 2.5-acre park in May.
That makeover includes replacing the sit-down restaurant, which was built in 1958 and flooded as the Myakka River rose, with a food concession building and a covered seating deck.
Both of those facilities and a new bandshell were moved farther inland to make them more resilient, with the covered deck affording the best view of the Myakka.
Sarasota County’s goal for the new facility — designed by BGE Engineering and subcontractor Sweet Sparkman Architects and built by Jon F. Swift Inc. — is to preserve the Old Florida charm of the original site.
The Dec. 29 update, shared by Sarasota County on Facebook, noted that foundations have been installed for the pavilion, food service facility and the new bandshell while renovations continue on the outfitter building and work has begun on the new fishing pier.
Who will be the new concessionaire at Snook Haven?
Sarasota County’s social media post noted that the concessionaire partner for Snook Haven should be announced this spring.
A Sarasota County spokeswoman said via email that three vendors applied to operate the concession — a contract previously held by the Venice Pier Group.
The contract is only for Snook Haven. Operation of Camp Venice, a 20.8-acre, campsite immediately south of the park, will be managed in the same fashion as Turtle Beach Campground on Siesta Key.
The SSA Group, a Denver, Colorado-based vendor that operates the food concession at a variety of attractions nationwide, including The Florida Aquarium in Tampa, is currently the front-runner to operate Snook Haven.
Justin Pachota, president of Venice Pier Group, confirmed to the Herald-Tribune Monday that his company — which managed the concessions at the iconic riverfront park for a dozen years — will likely be superseded by the SSA Group.
“We gave a reasonable presentation and a reasonable contract,” Pachota said, and later added “Our pitch was homegrown and rooted locally.”
Why did Sarasota County renovate Snook Haven?
The riverfront parcel that became home to Snook Haven was first accessed in 1931, when a movie crew first cut a dirt road connecting River Road to the banks of the Myakka River for a film about a French Indochina prison colony.
Then, in 1936, a rich Michigander built a retirement house there.
Sarasota County still owns that historic structure, which is being elevated and not currently included in the park plan.
Snook Haven became a fishing camp in 1948 and the original restaurant structure was built in 1958.
Sarasota County purchased the historic property for $2.6 million from Sandy Alston in 2006 and made it a park.
Alston’s ex-husband bought Snook Haven at auction in 1988 for $400,000.
Portions of Snook Haven frequently flooded. Most recently after Hurricane Ian in 2022, the Myakka River rose to the point that the park was under four feet of water.
Because of that flooding, Sarasota County extended the Venice Pier Group’s Snook Haven lease to give the company an opportunity to recoup funds spent to renovate that 1958 structure.
Earle Kimel primarily covers south Sarasota County as well as land development and environmental issues for the Herald-Tribune. Follow him on Facebook, and X. He can be reached by email at earle.kimel@heraldtribune.com. Support local journalism by subscribing.
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Sarasota County icon Snook Haven closed for months. Here’s what’s next
Reporting by Earle Kimel, Sarasota Herald-Tribune / Sarasota Herald-Tribune
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