Derek's Culinary Casual to relocate

After seven years in the Rosemary District, Derek’s Culinary Casual is relocating to a new location in Manatee Avenue in northwest Bradenton.

In an email to the restaurant’s customer base, owner/executive chef Derek Barnes cited a lack of progress in the Rosemary District — which has long been slated for redevelopment but saw several businesses close or leave the area as a result of the downtown in the economy — as a main impetus for relocating. Barnes has earned Florida Trend’s Golden Spoon award.

Known for its updated comfort food and imaginative American dishes, Derek’s, 514 Central Ave., has been a draw to the district north of Fruitville Road.

“Our business has been progressively successful because of your participation, yet the Rosemary District has not seen any of the improvements envisioned when we started,” Barnes wrote in the email sent Wednesday, March 27. “Consequently, it is imperative to relocate the restaurant to provide us with the opportunity to realize our dreams when we opened.”

Barnes told customers he plans to close the Rosemary restaurant April 13.

“We will continue to be open until Saturday, April 13, or as long as we can continue to provide the same quality food and service,” Barnes wrote in the email. “We made the decision to move to Bradenton after viewing many different locations in and around Sarasota but have rejected them for a variety of reasons. We are moving with a kaleidoscope of emotions.”

The expected opening in Bradenton is late summer or early fall.

“The decision was made with a heavy heart, but the excitement of a first-class location and building with the option to own the building in the future was too much to pass,” Barnes wrote.

Contact Roger Drouin at [email protected].