Michael's On East renovations offer a new theme

Three weeks may be a relatively short timeline for a construction project.

Yet after the fine dining restaurant Michael's On East reopened on Oct. 7, it allowed the public to experience its major renovations. 

Sarasota’s only AAA Four Diamond award restaurant, the restaurant now features an updated design that it says captures the golden age of supper clubs, and features an Art Deco style.

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"There wasn't anything that we didn't touch, the floors, the walls, the ceiling, the chairs," said Michael's On East co-owner Michael Klauber. 

The renovation comes as the restaurant prepares to celebrate 40 years in service in 2026, while its last major renovation, which lasted seven weeks, took place in 1997. 

That update introduced a concept based on the cruise ships of the 1930s, but Klauber said the current one delves further into the time period, incorporating research on the supper clubs of the 1930s and 1940s in Chicago, New York, and Paris.

"That era of dining and restaurants was really exciting; people's dress, the restaurants were beautiful, the service was really impeccable, and there was a precision to a lot of those places that is inspirational," he said. 

Led by designer Kurt Lucas, the redesign elevates the restaurant’s bar and piano lounge, and features materials, colors and textures which Klauber says are true to the time period but are presented in a more contemporary style. 

He says a major aspect of the update is the acoustic treatments, which, in response to comments from customers, introduce sound-absorbing materials throughout the restaurant. 

"Now it's dramatically different, where we still have the piano player in the lounge, but you can hold a conversation, you can hear people talk, and in the dining rooms, you're still hearing the background music, but it's not as aggressive as it used to be," Klauber said.

Klauber says the new menu retains the restaurant's signature items while introducing new dishes that reinterpret classic dishes from the era. 

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Some new additions include the Filet Wellington Reimagined and the Lobster Thermidor, while featuring a new cocktail menu.

Klauber also notes a change in lighting as well. 

"We went to more table lamps, from spotlights on the tables, which allows the room to kind of glow and the tables to stand out," he said. "It creates a more intimate environment."

He says that when people visit, they will have the chance to experience an authentic supper club. 

"I don't want people to think they're in Sarasota. "We're taking them away," he said.