Restaurants and shops following condos to downtown Sarasota

Published: Monday, December 29, 2014 at 1:00 a.m. Last Modified: Saturday, December 27, 2014 at 4:50 p.m.

Businesses opened and closed there this year, but local retail and restaurant boosters say they have high hopes for 2015, especially with new tenants due to open in the area in the coming months.

Paddywagon Irish Pub is the latest in a slew of restaurants and retailers committed to joining the Main Street lineup. The Irish pub, which has eight other Southwest Florida locations, announced its expansion to downtown Sarasota last week.

The pub joins Taco Bus, a popular Tampa Bay-based chain, and the locally known bar Evie's, which is opening a bowling alley downtown, that are under construction in a Main Street building owned by local entrepreneur Jesse Biter.

Younger residents have been waiting for the transformation of downtown Sarasota for a long time, said Biter, who owns several commercial buildings in the area.

"There's a lot of people investing a lot of money into Main Street right now," Biter said. "Which is great because there's a need for more entertainment in downtown."

Downtown development

New condominiums and hotels under construction are expected to bring more life to the city, said Norm Gollub, the downtown economic development coordinator for Sarasota.

"I think we're seeing a response to the market and a recovering economy," Gollub said.

"Since the recession, we've had a number of bars close, but with the addition of new residents and hotels coming to downtown, we think more retail and restaurant offerings will come."

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Restaurants and shops following condos to downtown Sarasota