Main Street Moves

This summer will be a hot one for commercial activity in downtown Sarasota, with several businesses moving to — and around — the Main Street area.

The openings of McCurdy’s Comedy Theatre on Ringling Boulevard and Ker’s WingHouse on Main Street earlier in June served as a precursor for the next few months. Several bars and restaurants will move into or out of downtown locations this summer; two of those establishments will begin operating at their new addresses early next month.

ThisWeekInSarasota.com Editor Nick Friedman contributed to this report.

WORLD OF BEER
The exact address is yet to be revealed, but the craft beer bar World of Beer will move into downtown Sarasota later this year.

The chain, which already has a location off University Parkway near I-75, recently announced plans for expansion that included an unspecified Main Street location. Co-owner Dean Lambert said the new site excited him — particularly given the activity being generated in the area.

“It’s great timing, too, with all of the other things going on in downtown Sarasota,” Lambert said.

The bar, which offers hundreds of bottled beers and dozens more on tap, will also have a mid-sized food menu.

Lambert said the bar is targeting a late summer or early fall opening date and that he was looking forward to becoming a part of the downtown area.

“I think we’ll be a good addition,” Lambert said.

Future location: Main Street
Opening date: Late summer/early fall

YUME SUSHI
Yume Sushi might only be relocating across the street, but owner and chef Baw Mong says the move will offer a world of new opportunities for the restaurant.

Yume is moving into the space formerly occupied by Peruvian restaurant Jalea, which closed earlier this month. The building, too large for its previous tenant at more than 3,900 square feet, gives Yume room to grow — which Mong plans to use to his advantage.

“We’ve been in business for eight years now,” Mong said. “We’ve been doing steady business, and we need to expand.”

In addition to more room, Mong said the restaurant will provide new options for downtown diners. He said the menu will expand, as will the restaurant’s hours of operation; he plans to serve food until 2 a.m. on weekends. In addition to sushi, Mong said the nighttime offerings would include a “Thai late-night lounge” and that the menu will include some “American flair.”

Mong hopes that, in the new location, Yume would be able to offer more variety to people in the downtown area.

“We wanted for our customers to be able to be downtown later, to have more options,” Mong said.

Current location: 1537 Main St.
Future location: 1532 Main St.
Opening date: Early July

TACO BUS/EVIE’S
A new building will soon stand in the Main Street space formerly occupied by Sarasota Hardware, and it already has secured its first two tenants.

Taco Bus, a Tampa-based Mexican restaurant, will occupy 2,500 square feet of the new commercial building, according to Ian Black Real Estate sales associate Steve Horn. The business, with five locations in the Tampa area, has developed a following.

An Evie’s business will occupy 5,000 square feet of space in the building, which entrepreneur Jesse Biter owns.

Biter, who plans to demolish and rebuild the one-story retail building soon, recently filed permits for construction at the site. Biter said the Main Street building has attracted significant interest; in a December interview with the Sarasota Observer, Biter said the building was Ian Black’s most called-upon property.

Future location: 1554 Main St.

BEER BOX
Beer Box, which opened last year in a shopping center just north of Clark Road, will be relocating to a more heavily trafficked area next month.

Part of the Evie’s family of businesses, Beer Box has focused on offering Florida-based craft beers under Manager Mick Cohn. The bar is scheduled to move the first week of July, opening in the Ringling Boulevard space currently occupied by Evie’s Tavern. At the new location, the bar’s local focus will remain, but the offerings will be expanded.

One major change is that the bar will now be able to offer liquor. Cohn said Beer Box plans to capitalize on this by emphasizing Florida-based liquors, as well. Still, the focus of the business will continue to be craft beer, a booming industry both locally and nationwide.

After starting in a less-than-ideal environment, Cohn said he believed the business will thrive downtown.

“We saw success with this model at the other location, even with some of the obstacles,” Cohn said. “Here, most of those obstacles seem to be gone.”

Current location: 5767 Beneva Road
Future location: 1989 Ringling Blvd.
Opening date: Early July

Contact David Conway at [email protected]