Moore's plans for brand-new restaurant

A brand-new, modern architecture-type waterfront restaurant that keeps its historic charm is heading to Longbeach Village if recommendations and future approvals keep coming for Moore’s Stonecrab Restaurant.

On Tuesday, the Longboat Key Planning and Zoning Board recommended approval of requests by Moore’s co-owner Alan Moore to revert the 47-year-old restaurant property at 800 Broadway from residential back to commercial zoning and to modify the Comprehensive Plan to designate the property as a commercial use.

The recommendations come on the heels of the Zoning Board of Adjustment’s decision last week to grant setback requests that allow the restaurant to reduce property street setbacks to 20 feet and bay yard setbacks to zero feet.

Those ZBA setback approvals, though, are now contingent on the Longboat Key Town Commission approving the PZB’s recommendations at two separate public hearings beginning next month.

Moore told the Longboat Observer he intends to file a site plan and a special-exception permit to the Planning, Zoning and Building Department in the coming weeks for the same number of outdoor seats he has now for a brand-new restaurant. That site plan must also be reviewed by PZB before the commission considers it.

“We’re going to tear the whole building down and rebuild,” Moore said. “It’s going to be gorgeous and modern but it won’t lose its old Florida charm.”

Moore requested the conversion of his property back to commercial at the request of his new business partners. Moore has teamed up with investors the Caragiulo Group and Tom Leonard.

The Caragiulo Group owns Caragiulos Italian Restaurant, Nancy’s BBQ and Owen’s Fish Camp, all in Sarasota. Leonard owns The Shore Diner on St. Armands Circle.

Contact Kurt Schultheis at [email protected].