Train-inspired eatery chugs into Serving Spoon space

LAKEWOOD RANCH — When Eric Bein left Lakewood Ranch Main Street last week, he held the key to his future in hand — quite literally.

The owner/chef of Sarasota breakfast eatery Station 400 has become the newest tenant on Lakewood Ranch Main Street and soon will take the spot formerly occupied by The Serving Spoon restaurant. Bein signed the deal for his new 3,1000-square-foot space Aug. 10.

“We have our work cut out for us,” Bein said of transforming the space into one that reflects the look of his 1950s-era train station-themed Sarasota location.

That location, which opened about two years ago, occupies an old train depot structure from Indiana. The signature model train that races above patrons’ heads will be an attention-getter at Bein’s new Lakewood Ranch eatery, as well, although he hasn’t quite figured out where it will go, he said.

“We’re excited to have breakfast back,” Julia DeCastro, property manager for Lakewood Ranch Main Street, said of the deal. “They’re concept is new and different and fresh.”

Bein will spend the next month cleaning the space, installing equipment, changing fixtures and furniture and preparing for an anticipated Nov. 1 opening. The location will have the same menu as Station 400’s Sarasota spot.

“We have a solid foundation of the classics, but some creative influences in them,” Bein said.

For example, Station 400 serves a truffle eggs Benedict and French toast made of almond-crusted croissants and stuffed with blueberries. His grilled cheese sandwich uses smoked cheddar, bacon, shaved apples and apple butter and is pressed in a waffle iron. The restaurant also makes its own jams, salad dressings and other items.

Bein’s love for cooking came from childhood days spent at his grandparents’ farm New York. Bein graduated from the Culinary Institute of America in 2004, before moving to New York to expand his experiences and training. Two years ago, he moved back to Sarasota and opened Station 400.

Contact Pam Eubanks at [email protected].

BUNDLE OF JOY
Station 400 owner/chef Eric Bein, along with his bookkeeper, read through the 83-page lease a few pages at a time as his wife endured 23 hours of labor. The couple’s first child, Mayla Rose, was born July 25.

“The restaurant was my baby — my life dedication,” Bein said. “Now, I have a new and literal life dedication. I feels a lot of things, but all good.”

Bein hopes to keep his wife, Ellie May, home with their newborn as much as possible but said he expects she is eager to get involved in the new restaurant as soon as she can.

“She’s a huge part of the face of our restaurant,” Bein said. “In the end, we’re a great team.”