Sarasota's restaurant scene has always punched above its weight for a city this size. But 2026 has been something else. From a bagel shop on Siesta Key to a star-shaped pizza concept from Miami landing at UTC to the revival of a 67-year-old drive-in — new tables have been appearing across nearly every neighborhood since January. Here's every confirmed opening, sourced from SRQ Weekly's always-updated restaurant tracker, organized by month.
August 2026
Five Nine Grill & Tavern
📍 1092 S Tamiami Trail, Osprey (former Bay Leaf space) · American Scratch Kitchen
Second location of the Bradenton scratch kitchen from Mike and Holly DeGirolamo, now at Blackburn Point Plaza in Osprey. Nearly everything is made in house: farmhouse burgers, grouper sandwiches, mac and cheese bowls, and a brunch that runs daily from 9 AM with biscuits and gravy and fried chicken and waffles.
Whit's Frozen Custard
📍 5147 Ocean Blvd, Siesta Key Village · Frozen Custard
Local owners the Fineberg family — in Sarasota since moving down from Buffalo in 2004 — brought the Ohio frozen custard chain to Siesta Key Village. Custard is churned fresh daily with flavors rotating weekly through the likes of Black Raspberry Chip and Strawberry Cheesecake. A natural post-beach stop.
Bread Bandits — Lakewood Ranch
📍 8130 Lakewood Main St, Suite 103 · Artisan Bakery
Second shop for the Sarasota sourdough bakery, now on Lakewood Ranch Main Street. The starter behind the bread is over 120 years old — carried out of Alsace by Jules Thuet's father and brought to Sarasota by Thuet, who named the place after feeding the starter during an airport layover. Croissants and French butter share shelf space with Hoffmann's liquor cakes and Pa's Peanuts.
July 2026
Delany's Public House
📍 8110 Lakewood Main St, Lakewood Ranch · Traditional Irish Pub
Owners Tory Delany, Darren Shore, and Kevin O'Hanlon spent a year sourcing furniture and antiques from Ireland, then hired two Irish-born Lakewood Ranch woodworkers to build the bar. The result is one of the most authentic Irish pub interiors in Southwest Florida. Shepherd's pie, fish and chips, and bangers and mash in whiskey onion gravy anchor the menu — plus an Irish provisions store up front stocking Tayto crisps and Barry's Tea.
June 2026
Mister O1 Extraordinary Pizza
📍 5231 University Pkwy Suite 111, The Market at UTC · Artisan Pizza
The Miami-born pizzeria from chef Renato Viola brings its signature five-point, star-shaped pies to UTC — the first Sarasota location. Look for the ricotta-filled Star Luca and the Coffee Paolo, plus calzones, a burrata bar, and a Nutella pizza for dessert. Dough is made with imported Italian flour and proofed 72 hours. The star shape isn't a gimmick — it gives every slice the same crispy-edge-to-soft-center ratio. The only Mister O1 location on Florida's Gulf Coast.
Happy Clams & Hams
📍 4110 Bee Ridge Rd, Sarasota · Seafood Market / Deli · BYOB
The Big Water Fish Market crew brings their Siesta Key seafood expertise to Bee Ridge with a market-meets-deli hybrid. Work the daily raw bar of cold-water and local oysters, then grab a lobster roll, a grouper sandwich, or a legit Italian sub. BYOB policy makes it even easier to love.
April 2026
Hanami Sushi, Cocktails & Lounge
📍 1525 Fourth St Unit C, Rosemary District · Japanese
The most buzzed-about opening in the Rosemary District this year — and it comes with a story. The space at 1525 Fourth St. has cycled through seven tenants since 2011, earning a local reputation as a cursed address. The Tsunami team spent a year restoring this 1925 building — the city's original citrus exchange — exposing historic brick, relocating the front entrance, and building out a 60-seat cocktail lounge alongside the main dining room. The menu carries forward Tsunami favorites: sushi, tableside hibachi, and Korean short rib. "Hanami" translates to "flower viewing" in Japanese.
The Bakero
📍 1900 Main St Suite 104, Downtown Sarasota · European Bakery
Piotr and Nataliia Lugowski moved here from Poland — where Nataliia baked professionally — and opened this European-style bakery on the east end of Main Street. Naturally leavened sourdough is the star, backed by croissants, handcrafted pastries, and specialty coffee. Breakfast and brunch run until 2 PM.
El Greco Kitchen & Market
📍 4035 Clark Rd, Sarasota · Greek
Revival of a downtown Sarasota institution, now on Clark Road. Dimitri Syros and his aunt are carrying on his grandfather George Soublis' original recipes — pitas, bowls, avgolemono soup — in a space that also doubles as a retail market stocked with Greek honey, olive oil, and wine.
Swift Lounge
📍 2881 Clark Rd Unit 23, Sarasota · Cocktail Lounge / Small Plates
Craft cocktail and small plates lounge from the team behind Masō — Sarasota's most exclusive reservation-only steakhouse. Swift Lounge takes its inspiration from Spain's Basque pintxos tradition: Cajun fried oysters, paella arancini, and lobster roll sliders alongside a serious cocktail program. Located in the same Clark Road plaza as Masō and Dive Wine & Spirits — this stretch of Clark Road is quietly becoming one of Sarasota's most interesting dining destinations.
Hob Nob Drive-In — Revived
📍 1701 N Washington Blvd, Sarasota · Classic Drive-In
A Sarasota original since 1957 — closed in 2024 after 67 years — is back under new ownership with the familiar black-and-white stripes and a focused menu of smash burgers, chicken tenders, onion rings, fries, and milkshakes. The Hob Nob has genuine generational loyalty in this city. One of the most emotionally resonant restaurant comebacks Sarasota has seen in years.
Bungalow Bagels
📍 6583 Midnight Pass Rd, Siesta Key · Bagels / Café · Daily 7 AM–3 PM
New York-style bagels, boiled and baked in-house daily at a 750-square-foot counter spot on the south end of Siesta Key. Signature sandwiches like the Snowbird — duck egg, prosciutto, Gruyère, green goddess aioli — alongside six schmear flavors and Kona coffee, with cold brew canned to order for the walk to Crescent Beach.
March 2026
Kitchen Social
📍 257 N Cattlemen Rd #81, UTC (former Rusty Bucket space) · Fast-Casual American
Nashville-born fast-casual chain opens its first Florida location. Globally inspired comfort food — smash burgers, crispy chicken sandwiches, loaded bowls, and craft cocktails — in a scratch kitchen with an indoor-outdoor layout seating 145. Signature cheddar scallion biscuits and weekend "cinna biscuit" are already crowd favorites.
Blu Kouzina — UTC
📍 295 N Cattlemen Rd Suite 4, UTC · Greek / Mediterranean
The popular St. Armands Circle Greek restaurant opens a second location at University Town Center. Mezze, grilled fish, lamb, and spanakopita — now accessible to the Lakewood Ranch and UTC corridor without the drive to the circle.
Peachey's Baking Co. — Cattlemen Rd
📍 999 Cattlemen Rd Unit E, Sarasota · Artisan Bakery
The beloved Amish-style donut shop opens its second Sarasota-area location. Sourdough-leavened doughnuts, soft pretzels, and coffee drinks in a 1,480 sq ft space.
Coach's Bar & Grill
📍 124 W Venice Ave, Venice · Sports Bar
Venice Island's newest sports bar brings 18 HD screens, 16 beers on tap, and 100% game audio to West Venice Avenue. NFL Sunday Ticket, NBA League Pass, UFC, Premier League — a legitimate sports-watching destination for South County.
February 2026
Wahlburgers
📍 Concourse B, Sarasota Bradenton International Airport · Burgers
The Wahlberg brothers' celebrity burger chain opens its first Florida Gulf Coast location inside Concourse B at SRQ. Wahlburgers is selective about airport placements — Sarasota's inclusion reflects the airport's growing national profile.
The bigger picture
Seventeen new restaurants in eight months across seven neighborhoods — and the year isn't over. A few patterns stand out. The Clark Road corridor near Swift Road is quietly becoming one of Sarasota's most interesting dining destinations: Masō, Swift Lounge, and El Greco Kitchen are all clustered within a short stretch. UTC continues its evolution into a legitimate dining hub with Kitchen Social, Blu Kouzina, Mister O1, and Bread Bandits all landing in 2026. And Lakewood Ranch Main Street picked up two significant additions — Delany's Public House and Bread Bandits — that reflect the community's continued maturation as a culinary destination.
For anyone thinking about where to buy in Sarasota, restaurant investment is one of the clearest leading indicators of neighborhood momentum. The neighborhoods getting the most new dining attention right now are the same ones seeing the most buyer interest.
If you're thinking about making one of these neighborhoods home, The LaMaida Group at Douglas Elliman would love to help.
