Whiskey Joe’s Bar & Grill aims for March opening. More restaurants also coming soon
With the continued growth of the Bradenton area, there seems to be no shortage of entrepreneurs ready to step up to provide new restaurant, taste, and entertainment experiences.
One of the most anticipated is Whiskey Joe’s Bar & Grill, 5313 19th St. E., now under construction on the Manatee River in Ellenton.
Tentatively set for a March 4 opening, Whiskey Joe’s has a job fair planned for 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Jan. 21, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Jan. 22 and Jan. 23 in the Rio Vista Ballroom of Courtyard by Marriott at Bradenton Riverfront, 100 Riverfront Drive, Bradenton.
Whiskey Joe’s is hiring hosts, servers, bartenders, cooks, dishwashers and bussers, part of an eventual workforce of 120 jobs, the Bradenton Herald previously reported Specialty Restaurants Corporation of Anaheim, Calif., as saying.
Specialty Restaurants is known for choosing sites that have panoramic views of city skylines, waterfronts and airports.
For more information about the hiring fair and other information about the restaurant, visit https://www.whiskeyjoestampa.com/whiskey-joes-manatee-river.
Joe Askren, professor at the USF Sarasota-Manatee College of Hospitality, said the younger generation of consumers is helping drive the opening of more fast casual restaurants, like Whiskey Joe’s.
Millennials and members of Generation Z (those born between 1995 through 2012) are social media savvy, and inquisitive about what they eat, he said.
“They have choices and the ability to learn about restaurants and healthy eating,” Askren said. “Everyone wants to eat fresh and eat healthy. People are more likely now to try different foods and to eat in moderation. Fine dining has changes a lot in last 10 or 12 years.”
Also helping drive the opening of more restaurants is the area itself, including, Bradenton, Anna Maria Island, Lakewood Ranch, and Sarasota. “It has so much to offer, what a lot of other communities wish they had,” Askren said.
A by-product of the opening of so many new eateries is that restaurateurs often struggle to find skilled chefs and other restaurant staff, he said.
Another restaurant that is new to the Bradenton area is The Parrot Patio Bar and Grill, which recently opened at 7230 52nd Place E. The restaurant moved into space formerly occupied by Bogeys and Angry Rooster.
Jeff and Melanie Gambino, the owners of the new East Manatee restaurant, also own The Parrot Patio Bar and Grill in Sarasota.
Their new restaurant will eventually be twice the size of the original Parrot Patio Bar and Grill, Jeff Gambino said in August.
Also coming to the Bradenton area:
▪ Atria Cafe and Coffeehouse at 4120 Lakewood Ranch Blvd., Lakewood Ranch, in The Shops at Commerce Park.
Owners Jim and Weyli Angus hope to open the business by the end of January or early February. On their website, artria.cafe, richly illustrated with artisan breads, the couple invites bakers, baristas, pastry, and, others, including creatives, to apply.
“Businesses that are filled with artisans -- people who take the time to master their craft, we desire to be a business like that. We want to be a place where ancient techniques find their fit in modern life,” they say on the Atria Cafe website.
▪ The owners of Yaki Sushi Grill, 5231 University Parkway, are aiming to open by the end of January. The restaurant, which will also offer Korean barbecue, is located in space formerly occupied by Kumo Japanese Steak House & Sushi.
▪ Benderson Development Corporation plans to open a new Starbucks in Ellenton at 6285 U.S. 301 N. The Starbucks, well along in the construction process and with signage in place, is located next to a McDonald’s and is on the south side of U.S. 301, across from Ellenton Premium Outlets.
▪ La Paradita Restaurant, recently opened at 6130 15th St. E.., south of Bradenton, serving Honduran, Mexican, and Dominican food.
