Update: Sarasota Chicken Kitchen aiming for November opening

Update: Chicken Kitchen now expecting Nov. 15 soft opening.

Original post:
Miami-based Chicken Kitchen is expected to open in mid-October and start hiring soon.

Rendering of the Sarasota Chicken Kitchen. Rendering Provided

The Herald reported in April how Gris Bettle and his brother-in-law Justin Mattina of West Bradenton are opening the poultry eatery inside The Market at University Town Center (formerly called University Park Center). The restaurant will be at 5215 University Parkway, beside Tijuana Flats.

Now as construction has moved along, Bettle said Friday that the restaurant is on track to start hiring in late September and hope to open mid-October, right when the Mall at University Town Center is expected to open.

Here is what you can expect from Chicken Kitchen from my April report:

"Chicken Kitchen is known for its hour-long grilling process and aims to give a more personable experience than the cafeteria-line fast food joints. The signature items include Chop-Chop, which is diced chicken dishes that customers can hear the distinct chopping sound while in line, and Wrapitos, which are grilled tortilla wraps.
"We only have all-white meat chicken, and we don't own a microwave or a freezer," said Bettle, a St. Stephen's Episcopal School graduate. "Everything's fresh, and the chicken is all natural, so it's raised antibiotic free."
Plus, the chicken shouldn't be warming in a container, waiting to be ordered.
"The food's coming right off the grill, and in 30 seconds it's right on your plate, and you're eating something that's freshly prepared," Mattina said, adding the experience gives a little bit of theater to dining."

The brothers-in-law said they hoped to tweak the operation and menu offerings a little bit to make the restaurant a better franchise model, something that the restaurant had an issue with through its history of promoting franchise opportunities and little to show for it.

Chicken Kitchen also has started a Facebook page, Facebook.com/chickenkitchencktb, which will encompass other potential Chicken Kitchen locations in Tampa Bay. The two have a five-year plan to open six restaurants in Tampa Bay.

Panera rolls out table tracking, rapid pick-up systems

The new Panera Bread table tracking system.

Panera Bread is adding table service without the tips at its Bradenton area restaurants.

Panera recently rolled out the company's Table Tracker and Rapid Pick-up systems at the 1520 Cortez Road location.

Instead of staff yelling out names and order numbers or trying to squeeze past a line of people waiting for their pager to buzz, customers are handed a coaster-like device at their tables. Each table has a tag with a sensor inside that communicates to the pager and the ordering system where you decided to sit down and where staff should bring the food.

It definitely helps eliminate the congestion at the pick-up counter and makes claiming a table easier, too.

So far, the Cortez Road location is the only one in the Bradenton area to have the Table Tracker feature, said David Ivey, district manager for Panera's franchisee Harmony Food Partners. More locations have plans to roll out the feature, including the new location on North Cattlemen Road scheduled to open in October, he said. Harmony operates the Panera cafes on Cortez Road, Tuttle Avenue/University Parkway and Gulf Gate's Sarasota Pavilion.

Panera also has cafes off of Bahia Vista and U.S. 41 in Sarasota plus on the corner of Bee Ridge and Cattlemen roads.

The five Bradenton-Sarasota area locations do offer the Rapid Pick-Up ordering system that allows for online orders to be placed and picked up on a shelf by the entrance.

Certain Panera locations also offer delivery and a feature with the smartphone app to order from your table, but the local restaurants do not have that feature yet. The individual delivery is unlikely here, but the ordering system is a possibility.

Panera is also opening a new restaurant on North Cattlemen Road in October across from the Mall at University Town Center. The restaurant plans to hire 40-50 people and conduct interviews Aug. 8 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Aug. 9 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Center for Culinary Arts, Keiser University, 6151 Lake Osprey Drive, Sarasota.

Rita's Water Ice planning comeback in Bradenton-Sarasota area

LAS VEGAS -- Rita's Water Ice, known for its flavored ice mixed with fresh fruit and custard, could be making a comeback in the Sarasota-Bradenton area.

The chain once had locations at 8382 Market St., Lakewood Ranch and 4420 S Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, where the faded sign can still be seen behind a chain link fence in an unfinished strip mall.

A real estate representative for the company told the Herald that Rita's is actively exploring the Sarasota area and is in the midst of a deal there. No location has been selected. The closest Rita's to Bradenton are in Clearwater.

The Trevose, Pa.-based Rita's has 21 locations in Florida with one coming soon in Vero Beach. The chain is open seasonally in most locations from at least the first day of spring and stays open until the third Sunday in September or later. Florida is an exception as most of the locations are open year-round.

Rita's seeks locations that have 35,000 people or more in a trade area with 20,000-plus cars passing by the site each day. Typical Rita's are 1,000 to 1,500 square feet in size.

Custard competition is stronger since Rita's departed. In addition to the local SweetBerries, Freddy's Frozen Custard from Kansas has opened in East Manatee with another coming soon in University Park and Culver's will open this year near Tuttle Avenue on University Parkway plus the owners of Gecko's serve custard at S'macks at Bee Ridge Road and Shade Avenue.

Several up-and-coming restaurants targeting Florida for growth

LAS VEGAS--Several retail and restaurant chains are looking to expand into Florida this year, as long as they can find the right deal.

A summer Retail & Restaurant Expansion Guide published by Cassidy Turley shows both what mainstay companies are looking to do and up-and-coming restaurants and stores that are ready to grow.

As much as there are mom-and-pop restaurants, Florida is a breeding ground for chain restaurants. You have companies like Hooter’s, Outback, Bonefish Grill, Red Lobster, First Watch, PDQ and others all get their start here before going national.

Here is a run-down of who’s looking to come to Florida or grow beyond what they already have here. Which ones would you like to see in the Bradenton area?

• Burger 21. Founded by Melting Post owners, it’s a new burger concept that has 12 locations open plus 18 franchise locations with several in Florida. Sarasota Melting Pot franchise owners Barry Berkowitz and Brian Marshall signed on to develop a Sarasota location but so far no movement.
• Chuck’s Steakhouse. The Ft. Lauderdale steakhouse has been around since 1959 and opened one new location last year bringing its total up to 13 and would like to grow nationally.
• Chuy’s Tex-Mex. The chain has 50 locations with three more planned for this year and wants “strong growth” in Florida as it also eyes California, Indiana and Virginia.
• The Counter Burger. Based in Culver City, Calif., this family restaurant known for custom built burgers serves about 100 and has 15 locations planned this year and wants to continue in Florida.  It has locations in Aventura, Miami International Airport and Naples.
• Elevation Burger. The Arlington, Va., company do fast casual burgers in shopping center locations and has 46 restaurants so far with 15 planned this year, including in Florida. Its only Sunshine State location is Miami Lakes.
• F20.  Short for Fresh To Order, this new restaurant has 11 locations in Georgia and Tennessee and has two planned in the coming year, setting its sights on Florida and North Carolina. Its first Florida location is now open in Waterford Lakes—east of Orlando.
• Firebirds Wood Fired Grill. Based in Charlotte, N.C., this restaurant has 36 locations so far since starting in 2000. The company recently expanded into Florida and are looking for more locations and have 10 planned for this year. They seat around 200 and the average per person check ranges $10 to $30.
• Flame Broiler. Its recently opened Orlando restaurant is the chains’ third Florida locations, with about 150 restaurants around the country and plans for three new locations this year. Two other Florida locations are in Jacksonville.
• Garbanzo Mediterranean Grill. Based in Centennial, Col., this Mediterranean restaurant has 30 locations with 20 planned this year. Its first Florida location opened November 2013 in Boca Raton and has plans for Miami-Dade and Broward counties so far.
• Girraffas. Making the jump from Brazil, the grilled burgers and steak restaurant is going global and opened its first U.S. locations in Ft. Lauderdale a few years ago and added a second location there along with another now open in Coral Springs. Girraffas wants to continue growing in the southeast.
• Grimaldi’s Pizzeria. The brick-oven pizza joint already has three locations in Tampa Bay and the Scottsdale, Ariz., company wants to grow with five locations in the coming year, beyond its 31 established locations.
• Hot Head Burritos. The Kettering, Ohio, burrito joint wants to dominate Florida after having 58 locations open, with 10 planned in the coming year. Its only Florida location is in Mary Esther.
• Leoni’s Pizzeria. They’re small, but the Fort Myers company has big ambitions to grow. They have also have a location in Naples and recently entered North Carolina. They’ve been around since 1956. What took so long?
• Lime Fresh Mexican Grill. Based in Maryville, Tenn., the chain already has several Florida locations including St. Petersburg and Tampa though they only have 28 locations in the U.S.
• Mooyah Burger & Fries. This brand-new company wants to start off with 60 locations in the next 12 months, including Florida, North Carolina and Washington, D.C. It wants to open 450 restaurants in 10 years.
• Nature’s Table Café. Based in Orlando, the fast casual chain has been in business since 1978 and recently moved into our nation’s capital. Two new locations are planned this year and look for more in Florida as well as other states.
• Pizza Patron. The cheeky Dallas-based company makes headlines in addition to pies. The company’s Spanish language ad was banned from radio networks in the Dallas market because well, they weren’t in English. Pizza Patron has 105 locations with plans for 25 more this year.
• RedBrick Pizza. The brick oven pizza company says they can cook your pizza in three minutes. Based in California, RedBrick already plopped down in Naples, Destin and Panama City Beach.
• Shula Burger. With five restaurants so far, legendary Dolphins coach Don Shula wants to grow beyond Florida and into major metro areas. The Shula restaurants are based in Ft. Lauderdale and its only Gulf Coast location is inside Tampa International Airport.
• The Tin Fish. The fast casual seafood restaurant known for localizing its menus  only has 12 locations and has two planned this year and wants to grow in Florida, California, Indiana and Minnesota. They have locations in Okeechobee, two in Port St. Lucie and another in West Palm Beach.
• YaYa’s Flame Broiled Chicken. Has 14 locations and plans for two new restaurants in coming years and looks to grow in Florida and Michigan. YaYa’s is in Clearwater and St. Petersburg so far in the Sunshine State.
• Zinburger Wine & Burger Bar. The Arizona-based burger restaurant has three locations planned for this year, including one at the Mall at University Town Center, and wants to expand in South Florida. Zinburger has 45 restaurants nationwide.

R.J. Gator's of Bradenton sets opening date

R.J. Gator's of Bradenton has an updated exterior as it gets ready to launch for its re-opening on Nov. 18 Photo by Charles Schelle/Bradenton Herald

R.J. Gator's Florida Sea Grill & Bar, one of the most anticipated restaurant revivals in Bradenton in a long time, will be ready to open on Nov. 18.

The return of the restaurant is certainly creating buzz in the community, owner Mike Parry said Tuesday while inside the restaurant. The restaurant, 6100 Cortez Road, is now hiring and already has more than 300 applicants for 75 open jobs, he said. (No job interviews will be done this Friday or on Sundays.)

Parry, along with his wife Darla, and kids, are making a go of the restaurant. I detailed their journey in July. Parry is the original proprietor of the restaurant and acquired the rights to open up R.J. Gator's once again. The only other surviving R.J. Gator's are in The Villages and Hurst, Texas, a suburb of Fort Worth.

Here is some background on Parry and Gator's from my July post:

"I always dreamed of having it back," says Mike Parry, the original proprietor of the Bradenton location. "I was never able to live it down. I honestly haven't gone two days without running into someone who was a guest, someone who worked here that said 'I miss R. J. Gator's.' I'm thinking it could possibly be a bigger hit than what it was before with this second coming."
The Jupiter-based chain started in 1986 with locations primarily on Florida's Treasure Coast. Through expansion, locations included several along the Gulf Coast, as well as in North Carolina, Texas, Pennsylvania and Louisiana with a total of about 30 restaurants. But the company went into bankruptcy and closed all corporate-owned restaurants in 2008.

During a visit to the restaurant Tuesday, a lot of work had been done to the restaurant, most notably to the exterior. At the same time,  the Parrys have a lot more work to do to get the dining room ready for opening day.

During a visit to the restaurant Tuesday, a lot of work has been done to the space, most notably the exterior. At the same time, the Parrys have a long way to go to get the dining room ready for opening da

The exterior now has a nice Everglade-type green replacing the faded coral blue. Workers were preparing two large postcard placards for the front of the building with one saying "Bradenton" and the other "Everglades."



Inside is still mainly dark, but progress can be seen on the bar, which had to be rebuilt after vandals broke through the ceiling above while the restaurant was vacant. The seating, lighting and accessories are still being worked on, and Parry is in the midst of getting his 21 HDTVs in order to hang.

The restaurant will keep its fans updated now that Gator's has a Facebook fan page. The page was just launched Sunday night and has more than 400 fans as of Wednesday afternoon. Visit R.J. Gator's of Bradenton on Facebook here.

What are you most looking forward to about R.J. Gator's re-opening? Leave your comments below.

Bradenton Evie's opens on 53rd Avenue

Evie's Tavern & Grill is now open at 3561 53rd Ave W. Photo by Charles Schelle/Bradenton Herald

Despite "Coming Soon" on the marquee, Evie's Tavern & Grill is now open at 3561 53rd Ave. W, in Bradenton.

The bar and grill opened Thursday for business and throughout opening weekend is offering 25 percent off of food. If you can't make it out opening weekend, Evie's offers 50-cent jumbo wings on Tuesdays, $8 18-inch pizza on Wednesdays and $5 burgers on Thursdays.

Owner Michael Evanoff told me in August that he's gearing the bar and grill toward staff at area businesses and the college students at SCF and IMG Academy:

"We're focusing on more of a family atmosphere, trying to get people from IMG, the high school and college to come to this location," Evanoff told the Herald.

Read more here: http://www.bradenton.com/2013/08/22/4674708/evies-tavern-to-open-bradenton.html#storylink=cpy

You'll find sandwiches, burgers, wraps and pizza on the menu, a couple pool tables and plenty of screens to catch the game. The full-service liquor bar features 19 taps with a rotation of craft brews. One relatively uncommon brew spotted on tap Friday is Duke's Cold Nose Brown Ale by Bold City Brewery in Jacksonville.

Evie's will be open from 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. Sundays-Tuesdays and 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. Wednesdays-Saturdays, he said. The popular happy hour from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. also will come to the Bradenton location featuring $2 Bud and Bud Light bottles. The location also offers take-out orders through a separate entrance.

The original Evie's started in 1997 on Bee Ridge Road with a golf driving range, expanding to a car wash, mini-golf course and more. This will mark Evie's seventh location and the third in Manatee County. Other Manatee Evie's includes Evie's Pizzeria on University, 5897 Whitfield Ave., and Evie's Tavern in Ellenton, 5955 Factory Shops Blvd., near the Ellenton Premium Outlets.

And to put a longstanding mispronunciation to rest by some, it's Evv-vie's and not Eee-vie's, thanks to the owner's last name Evanoff. Count me among the guilty.

Read more here: http://www.bradenton.com/2013/08/22/4674708/evies-tavern-to-open-bradenton.html#storylink=cpy

Read more here: http://www.bradenton.com/2013/08/22/4674708/evies-tavern-to-open-bradenton.html#storylink=cpy

Gator a-go-go

Certain restaurants need a hook to bring in tourists through the doors while needing the locals to funnel through to keep the cash registers ringing through the summer.

One of the best hooks for restaurants in Florida is an Everglades or gator theme. A recent story I wrote on the revival of the local R.J. Gator's Florida Sea Grill & Bar showed that formula works. The restaurant only closed its doors because of bad corporate structure that also tied the Bradenton restaurant as collateral to a Sarasota location that closed its doors. Linger Lodge in East Manatee has this concept down, still attracting people who want a taste of Old Florida, and even getting national recognition on Travel Channel for the food and concept.

So, digging through the restaurant photos I was sure to find some other gator-themed restaurants. I submit to you, Florida Crackers.

This Bradenton Herald archive photo shows owner Jim White on Aug. 16, 1990 with "Al" the alligator who appears to have consumed a giant hoagie that got stuck.

Much like R.J. Gator's, this restaurant plays up for an Old Florida theme, especially with the Florida Cracker name, a nod to the cows and cowboys of old. Plus each restaurant has their own gator mascot. R.J. Gator's gator, Big Jake, is more realistic, looking like a work of taxidermy even though it's a large plastic replica. Big Jake hangs inside the restaurant and isn't to be confused with the cartoon character that serves as its mascot.

Al? He looks like a mix between a papier mache project and a friend for E.T. And that snout looks like it could hook horns with a steer.

I couldn't find anything in our newsroom library or online about this restaurant, or Al. Contribute below if you remember something about Florida Crackers.

The Wonders of Wagon Ho

I'm humbled by the response for little ole' Wagon Ho. 

We decided to share the story with the "If you grew up in Bradenton, FL, you remember" Facebook group, and it resulted in 145 likes from the group, another 80 Recommends on the site and a deluge of Facebook comments that provided some insight on the restaurant. The column was the second most-read story on Bradenton.com Wednesday, too.

I'm also surprised how much people can go back and forth over whether the restaurant turned into an Arby's, and the consensus appears to be no.

Here's one gem that shed some light via Facebook from a former Wagon Ho employee:

Joyce Alderman Fulghum I was one of the first employees when WAGON HO opened. the big guy on top was Big Paul. I was there from start to finish. It was never arbys ...The dodge place took over the lot with the wagon then tore it down when remodeled, it was my understanding Paul was sold or donated to someone.

A letter via email from Pastor Bill Straitwell gave a fascinating look at the construction of Wagon Ho, plus an inspiration to find of photo of Kenny Rogers Roasters, which blows my mind that there was one in Bradenton. I don't know if I've ever seen one in person. My exposure to the restaurant was limited to an episode of Seinfeld.

Here's Pastor Bill on the Wagon:

Hello Chuck,
My wife and I have lived in the Bradenton area for the past 23 years, and our first house in the area was in Bayshore Gardens, which is not too far from the old Wagon Ho.  While we have never been inside the building, I can speculate what the inside looked like.  The Conestoga portion of the building was built by Seaman Corp. located on Whitfield Ave.  I worked as a supervisor there when I first moved into the area.  Seaman is no longer there, but their headquarters in Wooster, Ohio. Seaman built large buildings shaped somewhat like the Wagon Ho, but considerably larger in size.  Many of the buildings were built for the military at the start of the Gulf War. Hopefully I have added some insight into your fine article.  (Did you know that across the street was a Kenny Rogers Roasters Restaurant, which featured roasted and delicious chicken?)  I believe it was roughly by the present day Hooter’s. Blessings, Pastor Bill Straitwell

Retro Restaurant Repository

(Bradenton Herald Archive Photo, Nov. 2, 1962)

Saddle up for the first installment of the Retro Restaurant Repository.

I'll be using this space for the next while to revisit some of the funny, cheesy, memorable and unmemorable restaurants that made the news in the Bradenton Herald over the years.

All of these photos are coming from the Herald's archives, and I'm taking request to find and post photos. If you have a photo to share, feel free to email me (my address is in the right column).

I'm kicking it off with Wagon Ho.

Here's what I wrote in today's column about what I know about the Ho:

According to a Nov. 2, 1969 Herald brief, Wagon Ho opened its fifth restaurant on the Florida Gulf in Bradenton . The restaurant’s service was speedy “due to an electronic over-broiler, developed and patented by Wagon Ho for rapid cooking,” according to the caption. The description reminds me a bit of the defunct chain Burger Chef, which was a childhood favorite. The local Wagon Ho was owned by Walter Hines and stood at 4723 S. Tamiami Trail near Cortez Plaza. Today, it’s a lot for Bob Boast Volkswagen.

One note about the address: In today's Tamiami Trail world, this address shows up as across the DeSoto Square Mall, but that end of Cortez Road/44th Avenue West/SR 684/SR 55 (you get the picture?) wasn't designated as US 41 then. Given the description from the 1962 caption citing the address as near Cortez Plaza, when using 14th Street West, which is also US 41, puts it right beside Cortez Plaza. I don't know if the South Trail is a typo from back then or if in 1962, it was considered South Tamiami Trail. Little help?

I'm partially intrigued by the pioneer fellow commanding this conestoga. And in another aspect, the wagon itself. When I was a kid, I always wanted the imagination of the restaurant's exterior to be pulled inside and be functional. I don't know what this looked like inside, but I'm guessing there wasn't this large curved ceiling meant to be a covered wagon, but closer to an opera hall. Instead, it was probably a flat drop ceiling. Sigh.

Enlighten me about what this restaurant looked like inside, the food, and its demise.