Growlers offers a new bite

As a veteran of the restaurant industry, Sarasota’s Mark Caragiulo has faced a plethora of challenges.

Over the past few weeks, he faced his “smallest” challenge yet, a kitchen less than 3-by-3 feet in size.

“To produce food, probably, it’s literally about 30 inches of counter we have to get creative with,” Caragiulo said. “A good commercial sandwich press is going to be our workhorse.”

Caragiulo, who has opened well more than 20 restaurants, including his family’s flagship eatery, Caragiulos Italian Restaurant, in Sarasota, as well as the popular Owen’s Fish Camp and Veronica Fish & Oyster, both in Sarasota, and Shore Diner, on St. Armands Circle, came to the aid of Jeanne Dooley, owner of Craft Growlers to Go, at Lakewood Ranch Main Street.

Dooley, who opened Growlers about one year ago, wanted to add food offerings for her customers. Caragiulo quickly saw why.

“For me, personally, I don’t know how long I can sit here and drink without eating something,” he said.

Dooley approached Caragiulo because she had eaten at his restaurants and was familiar with his expertise in the food-and-beverage industry.

“I’m a 30-year golf pro,” Dooley said. “I instinctively knew I needed help. I knew it would be a layering process.”

Caragiulo came in and began getting creative. Growlers’ bartenders would be making food items as they served beers, so offerings had to be quick and simple — three steps or less, Caragiulo said.

“It all goes with beer,” said Dooley of the new menu, which debuted Jan. 27. “Whether you want a snack or something more substantial, we have it.”

To start, there will be sweet and spicy bacon beer nuts, deviled eggs, five alarm chili, a turkey and brie quesadilla and miniature German bratwurst on a pretzel roll. The Kentucky hot brown with beer cheese sauce is a salute to Dooley’s Kentucky upbringing.

“Everybody from Kentucky knows what a hot brown is,” she said of the turkey sandwich made famous by the Brown Hotel in Louisville in the 1920s.

Caragiulo said the menu is a starting point from which Growlers can expand. After the staff becomes comfortable with preparing foods while working, they can become more creative, potentially adding menu items like meatball subs, hot pastrami sandwiches or others.

Dooley said the new menu will help Growlers be more like the local pub it has become. She is grateful for Caragiulo’s support.

The next step will be re-envisioning Growlers’ interior. Caragiulo said it is important for a restaurant to have an identity.

“When you walk away, you can say it in a sentence,” he said.

Dooley has a Pinterest board of ideas she likes — inspiration to help create more “cozy” spaces and better reflect the establishment and its patrons. 

Dooley offered to pay Caragiulo, but he refused. Caragiulo said he’s happy to be part of Growlers’ evolution.

“You don’t want to see anybody fail,” Caragiulo said. “To give somebody every option to be successful is important to me. I know how hard this business is. At the end of the day, I want to live in a town with exceptional food and beverage destinations. It’s a cool craft beer joint that will be made cooler by a nice little snack offering.”