For years, visitors strolling through The Bay — downtown Sarasota’s sweeping 53-acre waterfront park along Sarasota Bay — have had no shortage of breathtaking sunsets. What they’ve lacked is a proper place to sit down and enjoy one over a meal. That’s about to change.
The next phase of the beloved park, situated adjacent to the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, will include a full-service waterfront restaurant targeting a late 2027 opening. And the team chosen to run it has serious Gulf Coast credentials.
—A Park That Grew From a Parking Lot
What was once an unremarkable stretch of asphalt has transformed into the beating heart of downtown Sarasota’s outdoor life. The Bay now offers kayaking, an ibis-themed playground, eight acres of green space and a scenic boardwalk overlooking Sarasota Bay — all free and open to the public.
Phase 2 of the park’s development is now in motion, and it’s ambitious. Plans call for a new performing arts center, a sunset pier, day docks for boaters, and — at long last — a restaurant worthy of the setting.
—The Canal District: Prime Real Estate for Dining
—The restaurant will anchor a section of the park being called the Canal District, situated at the far end of the property from the Van Wezel, right alongside the Sarasota Boat Canal. It’s a coveted position, offering diners sweeping views of Sarasota Bay, the boat canal’s steady maritime traffic, and the boat basin at Centennial Park next door.
—Bay Park Conservancy founding CEO A.G. Lafley has been open about the design vision: an accessible, affordable dining experience housed in a structure that reflects Sarasota’s modernist architectural heritage — think clean lines, a flat roof and generous expanses of glass. The building footprint is planned at no more than 5,000 square feet under roof, which organizers say is sufficient for the roughly 300-seat capacity envisioned. For reference, Lafley has compared the scale to that of the Dry Dock Waterfront Grill on Longboat Key.
—The project architect is Sweet SparkmanA.G. Lafley, the well-regarded Sarasota firm — a fitting choice given their prior work designing Fins at Sharky’s in Venice, the upscale sister restaurant of the company now tapped to operate the new space.
—The Budget
—The overall price tag for Phase 2 of The Bay comes in at $65 million. The concept phase for the restaurant building alone carries a budget of $5.8 million. Design work is already underway, with construction completion expected in fall 2027.
—The Operator: Venice’s Waterfront Royalty Heads North
—Following a competitive request-for-proposals process, the Bay Park Conservancy selected the Venice Pier Group as the operator for the park’s debut restaurant. The company owns and operates two well-known waterfront dining destinations in Venice — Sharky’s on the Pier and the adjacent upscale Fins at Sharky’s.
—The Venice Pier Group is a family business with deep regional roots. Mike Pachota, originally from the Detroit area, co-founded Sharky’s in 1987 after winning the bid to convert a rundown beach concession stand at the base of the Venice Fishing Pier into a restaurant. The place started with just 78 seats. Today it is a full-blown Venice landmark. His son Justin, who holds a hospitality management degree from the University of Central Florida, took over as company president in 2020 and has since guided its expansion.
—The Pachotas weren’t newcomers to The Bay when they won the restaurant contract. Venice Pier Group has been operating the park’s concession stands since The Bay first opened, giving them firsthand knowledge of what Sarasota’s waterfront visitors want — and what they’ll pay for it.
—Justin Pachota has spoken enthusiastically about the new location’s potential, pointing to the combination of canal activity, boat traffic and those coveted west-facing sunsets as ingredients for something special. The concept is expected to lean toward what the industry calls “polished casual” — a step above a tiki bar, with quality food and a refined setting, but without the stuffiness of white-tablecloth fine dining.
—The Business Case
—The restaurant isn’t merely an amenity — it’s central to the Conservancy’s plan for long-term financial independence. Lafley has noted publicly that a well-run waterfront restaurant in this region can generate between $8 million and $14 million in annual revenue. With the Conservancy taking a modest percentage cut — projected in the range of 5% to 10% — even a single thriving restaurant could return hundreds of thousands of dollars annually to park operations.
—Three restaurants are ultimately planned across the park’s various phases. Two more are slated for Phase 3B, a later stage of development. If all three perform well, Lafley has said, restaurant commissions alone could cover half the Conservancy’s roughly $2 million in annual operating costs — a significant shift from the current reliance on donations and grants.
—A Region Hungry for More
—Sarasota’s waterfront dining scene is celebrated, but Conservancy leadership has argued for years that supply has never caught up with demand. After surveying the waterfront restaurant landscape from Bradenton and Anna Maria Island all the way down to Casey Key, Lafley concluded there simply aren’t enough quality options — a gap The Bay is now positioned to help fill.
For now, Sarasota residents and Longboat Key neighbors will need to be patient. With design underway and the calendar pointed toward a late 2027 debut, the first Bay Park restaurant is still a ways off. But with a proven operator, a celebrated architect, a jaw-dropping location and the full weight of one of the region’s most exciting civic projects behind it, anticipation is already building — one sunset at a time.
—For years, visitors strolling through The Bay — downtown Sarasota’s sweeping 53-acre waterfront park along Sarasota Bay — have had no shortage of breathtaking sunsets. What they’ve lacked is a proper place to sit down and enjoy one over a meal. That’s about to change.
—The next phase of the beloved park, situated adjacent to the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, will include a full-service waterfront restaurant targeting a late 2027 opening. And the team chosen to run it has serious Gulf Coast credentials.
—A Park That Grew From a Parking Lot
—What was once an unremarkable stretch of asphalt has transformed into the beating heart of downtown Sarasota’s outdoor life. The Bay now offers kayaking, an ibis-themed playground, eight acres of green space and a scenic boardwalk overlooking Sarasota Bay — all free and open to the public.
Phase 2 of the park’s development is now in motion, and it’s ambitious. Plans call for a new performing arts center, a sunset pier, day docks for boaters, and — at long last — a restaurant worthy of the setting.
—The Canal District: Prime Real Estate for Dining
—The restaurant will anchor a section of the park being called the Canal District, situated at the far end of the property from the Van Wezel, right alongside the Sarasota Boat Canal. It’s a coveted position, offering diners sweeping views of Sarasota Bay, the boat canal’s steady maritime traffic, and the boat basin at Centennial Park next door.
—Bay Park Conservancy founding CEO A.G. Lafley has been open about the design vision: an accessible, affordable dining experience housed in a structure that reflects Sarasota’s modernist architectural heritage — think clean lines, a flat roof and generous expanses of glass. The building footprint is planned at no more than 5,000 square feet under roof, which organizers say is sufficient for the roughly 300-seat capacity envisioned. For reference, Lafley has compared the scale to that of the Dry Dock Waterfront Grill on Longboat Key.
—The project architect is Sweet Sparkman, the well-regarded Sarasota firm — a fitting choice given their prior work designing Fins at Sharky’s in Venice, the upscale sister restaurant of the company now tapped to operate the new space.
—The Budget
—The overall price tag for Phase 2 of The Bay comes in at $65 million. The concept phase for the restaurant building alone carries a budget of $5.8 million. Design work is already underway, with construction completion expected in fall 2027.
The Operator: Venice’s Waterfront Royalty Heads North
Following a competitive request-for-proposals process, the Bay Park Conservancy selected the Venice Pier Group as the operator for the park’s debut restaurant. The company owns and operates two well-known waterfront dining destinations in Venice — Sharky’s on the Pier and the adjacent upscale Fins at Sharky’s.
The Venice Pier Group is a family business with deep regional roots. Mike Pachota, originally from the Detroit area, co-founded Sharky’s in 1987 after winning the bid to convert a rundown beach concession stand at the base of the Venice Fishing Pier into a restaurant. The place started with just 78 seats. Today it is a full-blown Venice landmark. His son Justin, who holds a hospitality management degree from the University of Central Florida, took over as company president in 2020 and has since guided its expansion.
The Pachotas weren’t newcomers to The Bay when they won the restaurant contract. Venice Pier Group has been operating the park’s concession stands since The Bay first opened, giving them firsthand knowledge of what Sarasota’s waterfront visitors want — and what they’ll pay for it.
Justin Pachota has spoken enthusiastically about the new location’s potential, pointing to the combination of canal activity, boat traffic and those coveted west-facing sunsets as ingredients for something special. The concept is expected to lean toward what the industry calls “polished casual” — a step above a tiki bar, with quality food and a refined setting, but without the stuffiness of white-tablecloth fine dining.
—The Business Case
—The restaurant isn’t merely an amenity — it’s central to the Conservancy’s plan for long-term financial independence. Lafley has noted publicly that a well-run waterfront restaurant in this region can generate between $8 million and $14 million in annual revenue. With the Conservancy taking a modest percentage cut — projected in the range of 5% to 10% — even a single thriving restaurant could return hundreds of thousands of dollars annually to park operations.
Three restaurants are ultimately planned across the park’s various phases. Two more are slated for Phase 3B, a later stage of development. If all three perform well, Lafley has said, restaurant commissions alone could cover half the Conservancy’s roughly $2 million in annual operating costs — a significant shift from the current reliance on donations and grants.
—A Region Hungry for More
—Sarasota’s waterfront dining scene is celebrated, but Conservancy leadership has argued for years that supply has never caught up with demand. After surveying the waterfront restaurant landscape from Bradenton and Anna Maria Island all the way down to Casey Key, Lafley concluded there simply aren’t enough quality options — a gap The Bay is now positioned to help fill.
—For now, Sarasota residents and Longboat Key neighbors will need to be patient. With design underway and the calendar pointed toward a late 2027 debut, the first Bay Park restaurant is still a ways off. But with a proven operator, a celebrated architect, a jaw-dropping location and the full weight of one of the region’s most exciting civic projects behind it, anticipation is already building — one sunset at a time.
