More than 40 new Manatee County restaurants opened in 2025. See the full list
Bradenton-area restaurant fans had dozens of new restaurants to choose from in 2025.
From fine dining to fast-casual and everything in between, Manatee County’s restaurant scene had several new places opening their doors.
Here’s a look at the various eateries that opened in 2025.
New local restaurants
Ballerz Pinball Cafe, 412 Old Main Street, Bradenton: Hot dogs, meatball subs and Buffalo chicken dip sandwiches are offered at the downtown Bradenton cafe that features more than a dozen pinball machines and arcade games.
Boiler Room, 5600 Manatee Ave. W., Bradenton: The longtime fan favorite returned in 2025 after a five-year absence. Karen Bell, who owns multiple restaurants locally, reopened the longtime staple with partners Josh and Staci Wilkinson. The restaurant serves its “famous steak sandwich” and other fan favorites.
Casa Blanca Modern Mexican Tequila Bar, 4120 Cortez Road W., Bradenton: Molcajete, burritos, tacos, enchiladas and various types of tequila are some of the items offered at Casa Blanca. It’s the second location for the restaurant, following the original in Fort Myers. Inside the restaurant, diners are transported to Tulum, Mexico or Miami with festive scenery and music.
Cornerstone Pizza, 5203 Cortez Road W., Bradenton: Mark Nilsen said he wants Cornerstone Pizza to be “that neighborhood pizza joint.” The pizzeria specializes in New York-style thin-crust pizzas baked in a brick oven and gourmet pizza pies.
Ed’s Tavern, 9588 Buffalo Road, Parrish: The local sports bar and restaurant in the Gateway Commons plaza near Interstate 75 and Moccasin Wallow Road is its third Manatee County location. And while the menu is similar to the other spots, there’s new stuff like a sports and games simulator at this location.
Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse, 8306 Tourist Center Drive, Sarasota: The fine-dining restaurant opened its first Manatee County location off University Parkway near the UTC Mall. Serving various cuts of steak, chicken and seafood dishes, the restaurant opened in February.
Florence and the Spice Boys, 257 N. Cattleman Road Unit 90, Sarasota: What began as a food truck six years ago has turned into two brick-and-mortar locations. The most recent opened in 2025 in the University Town Center’s West District serving Middle Eastern and Mediterranean staples such as shawarma, falafel, beef kofta meatballs, kebabs and offering spices such as harissa.
Flower Child, 6532 University Parkway, Lakewood Ranch: The fast-casual restaurant chain opened its first Manatee County location with a spot in Lakewood Ranch’s Center Spot at Waterside plaza. The chain has a health-focused menu offering made-from-scratch items that are friendly to dietary preferences such as vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free and paleo.
Gateway Subs, 2215 60th Ave. E., Ellenton: The St. Petersburg-based sub shop opened its first Manatee County eatery. Located in Ellenton, Gateway Subs offers various breakfast and lunch sandwiches, coffee and baked goods with a “whatever makes you happy, makes us happy,” philosophy, owner Grant Strayer said.
Jeff’s Bagel Run, 14624 State Road 70 E., Lakewood Ranch: The bagel shop that began in Orlando and is a viral craze on social media opened in Lakewood Ranch for its first foray into Manatee County. The shop specializes in its “always boiled, never toasted,” bagels and assortment of flavored cream cheese spreads.
Jaxx Wing Co., 4927 96th Street E., Palmetto: After launching the first Jaxx Wing Co. in downtown Bradenton in 2024, owner-operator Joshua Hatch has added a second location — third for the Jaxx brand — by taking over the space previously home to Gianni’s Pizza Express near Moccasin Wallow Road in Palmetto. Wings, chicken sandwiches, burgers, cheesesteaks and more are offered.
Kelsey’s Coney Island and Deli, 7824 Cortez Road W., Bradenton: A slice of Detroit opened in West Bradenton in 2025. The coney-style hot dog is an icon of the greater Detroit area, and Kelsey’s is an ode to that. The restaurant also serves deli sandwiches.
Kuro Sushi, 8126 Main Street #102, Lakewood Ranch: Offering a melting pot of Asian cuisine, including Vietnamese pho, spring rolls from chef Brian Briones’ Filipino heritage and various sushi rolls, Kuro is the fourth restaurant concept from owner Daniel Dokko.
LongHorn Steakhouse, 7185 S.R. 64, Bradenton: The Darden Restaurant group brand opened in May in the Marketplace at Heritage Harbour shopping plaza. Offering a variety of steaks, it’s the restaurant chain’s second location in Manatee County.
Oar & Iron Raw Bar & Grill, 8710 U.S. 301 N., Parrish: Seafood and steak highlight Oar & Iron’s menu. The restaurant in Parrish’s Creekside Commons shopping center opened in December. It’s the company’s third location in Florida, but first for Manatee County.
Peppercorn’s Steak and Seafood, 7175 State Road 70 E., Bradenton: A steakhouse in East Manatee that aims to serve “affordable” food, owner Justin Boudreau said. The restaurant’s steak tips are a signature item.
Pork Belly’s Eatery, 9516 Cortez Road W., Bradenton: After visiting the area over the years, Kate Meek and her husband Eddie expanded their popular Utah restaurant to Manatee County. Offering breakfast, tacos, smoked meat sandwiches, burgers, chicken, beef, pork and seafood dishes, Pork Belly’s offers a bit for everyone.
Pork Roll Pete’s, 4657 Cortez Road W., Bradenton: A slice of New Jersey entered the Bradenton food scene with Pork Roll Pete’s. Using a New York water system to kettle-boil bagels, customers are also offered various breakfast sandwiches including New Jersey’s iconic pork roll. The sandwich’s name has long been a Garden State debate depending if you’re in north or south Jersey. Either way, the Pork Roll Pete Special features two fried eggs, thin-sliced pork roll and American cheese as a signature dish for the eatery.
Rod & Reel Pier, 3246 E. Bay Drive, Holmes Beach: The iconic restaurant’s fate seemed in peril after a disastrous 2024 hurricane season caused catastrophic damage. However, owner Oliver Lemke revived the restaurant on land, which opened in November. The menu is essentially the same as it was before Hurricanes Helene and Milton destroyed the original location. The restaurant serves breakfast and lunch favorites like the seafood omelet, grouper sandwich, grouper Reuben, sea scallop dinner, fried clam strips and seafood gumbo.
Seasons 52, 7115 State Road 64, Bradenton: Upscale restaurant chain Seasons 52, which features four seasonal menus throughout the year, opened in September in the Marketplace at Heritage Harbour plaza. The Darden Restaurant group brand is the second one for the area, following the UTC location .
Shuck It Raw Bar and Steamer House, 313 Old Main Street, Bradenton: New Jersey native Joey Bennett launched Shuck It in May as a tribute to his youth on the Jersey Shore. The restaurant offers oysters, mussels, shrimp, clams, crawfish, cocktails and side dishes.
Sofra Kitchen Bar and Bistro, 606 Manatee Ave. W., Bradenton: Fabjan Dodaj and his wife, Orjola, opened the fine-dining restaurant Sofra in March. The restaurant features European cuisine, with many Italian dishes dotting the menu.
Stoner’s Pizza Joint, 3985 Cortez Road W., Bradenton: Texas-based Stoner’s Pizza Joint made its Manatee County debut in January. Pizzas, calzones, strombolis, wings and more are featured on the menu for Stoner’s, which makes playful references to the company’s “stoner” branding with large text on the walls reading, “Legalize marinara” and “Get baked.”
The Brown Bag, 440 Old Main Street, Bradenton: In addition to Shuck It, Bennett opened The Brown Bag in downtown Bradenton in 2025. The deli is a grab-and-go sandwich shop, and customers can customize their choice if they wish.
The Dough Forge, 515 27th Street E., Bradenton: Sicilian family recipes are carried out at The Dough Forge from Zo Rizzo, who is carrying his family legacy forward. Rizzo has water shipped from Italy and all food is made-to-order. Featuring pizzas, calzones, rolls, subs and classic Italian dinners.
Toasted Mango Cafe, 3240 E. Bay Drive, Holmes Beach: The popular cafe has expanded from Sarasota to Holmes Beach. The Toasted Mango Cafe features The Food Network’s “best waffle in Florida,” as well as other breakfast and lunch options.
Twisted Pit BBQ, 8130 Main Street, #104, Lakewood Ranch: Texas-style barbecue has found its way to Lakewood Ranch with the Twisted Pit BBQ on Main Street. The restaurant is the brainchild of Zach Zeller and Evan Percoco. Featuring briskets and ribs, hot and cold side dishes and picnic tables for community seating, the Twisted Pit BBQ opened in the summer of 2025.
Ventura’s Italian Kitchen, 4805 Cortez Road W., Bradenton: Wedging into a space next to the Regal Oakmont movie theater and Amped Fitness, Debra Murphy found a prime spot for a second Ventura’s location. The original is on Longboat Key, with the Bradenton location offering a couple of twists from the original. They include a pizza by the slice window, subs and cheesesteaks.
Wolveshead Pizza & Wings, 5348 34th Street W., Bradenton: Kenny and Caitlin Buchanan expanded their popular Lakewood Ranch sports bar for Bradenton. Finding a spot in a Detwiler’s Farm Market-anchored plaza near IMG Academy, State College of Florida and Bayshore High, the Buchanan’s jumped at the chance to open their second Wolveshead. The restaurant specializes in pizza and wings, but also has other customer favorites such as the Howl at the Moon fries and Wolves Nachos.
Yummy Sushi, 6220 14th St. W., Bradenton: Serving sushi, hibachi and other Japanese cuisine, Yummy Sushi opened in February just south of Bayshore Gardens Parkway.
Zoto Sushi, 190 N. Cattlemen Road, Sarasota: Zoto is a Japanese izakaya — or tavern — that has a Michelin-star chef leading the kitchen. James Bear-nominated restaurateurs Jimmy and Johnny Tung created the concept that features sushi rolls and grilled meats such as kushiyaki and yakitori.
Fast food/casual
Chick-fil-A, 6010 14th St. W., Bradenton: Manatee County’s fifth Chick-fil-A location opened in May in the Bayshore Gardens shopping plaza. The national chain offers its signature chicken sandwiches and waffle fries.
Chicken Salad Chick, 8730 U.S. 301 N. #113, Parrish: The fast-casual chain opened in December in Parrish’s Creekside Commons shopping center. Offering various scratch-made Southern-style chicken salad, the restaurant is the company’s second for Manatee County.
Five Guys, 8990 U.S. 301 N., Parrish: The national chain opened inside the Creekside Commons shopping plaza in Parrish to offer its made-to-order burgers, french fries and shakes.
Kelly’s Roast Beef, 8710 U.S. 301 N., Parrish: Known for its roast beef sandwiches, seafood and other New England comfort food, the fast-casual chain opened in May in the Creekside Commons shopping plaza in Parrish.
Swig, 6412 Cortez Road W., Bradenton: Made famous on the reality show, “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives,” the drink stand made its way to Manatee County to much fanfare when it opened. Lines wrapped around seeking Swig’s signature dirty soda.
Coffee and desserts
Chocolate Emporium, 216C Pine Ave., Anna Maria: Owner Tiffany Searcy and husband Jason opened their candy shop in Anna Maria in August. Caramel, truffles, turtle candies and saltwater taffy is made in-house.
Eleanor’s Coffee & Cakes, 449 10th Ave. W., Palmetto: The old state bank located in Palmetto’s Historic River District was repurposed and renovated to become the home of Eleanor’s Coffee & Cakes. Pastries, cookies and cakes are made in-house, while Eleanor’s teamed with nearby Banyan Coffee Co. to roast their coffee beans.
Foxtail Coffee Co., 11687 Moccasin Wallow Road, Parrish: The Orlando-based coffee company opened in the Marketwalk at North River Ranch. Aside from various coffee styles, Kelly’s Homemade Ice Cream has a counter inside.
Peach Cobbler Factory, 629 Cortez Road W., Bradenton: Former NFL player and Bradenton resident Michael Lehan opened up the area’s first Peach Cobbler Factory, where customers can get a variety of cobblers, shakes, puddings and other sweet treats.
Rita’s Italian Ice, 8539 Cooper Creek Blvd., Sarasota: Rita’s slogan of, “Ice custard happiness,” made its way to the UTC area. Opening next to Sprinkles Cupcakes in the Shoppes at University Town Center, customers can choose from a rotating 95 flavors of Italian ice as well as custard and gelati.
Sweet Hut Bakery and Cafe, 419 Cortez Road W., Bradenton: Atlanta-based Sweet Hut features Asian pastries, buns, homemade cookies, cakes, sandwiches, burgers, coffee, teas and an assortment of fruit-flavored refresher drinks. The shop in the Orange Blossom shopping plaza is the company’s first in Manatee County.
Tim Hortons, 7935 State Road 64 E., Bradenton: The Canadian institution has checked into Manatee County with its first store opening in December. Known for their coffee, donuts and Timbits, Canada-based Tim Hortons is in the Landing at Heritage Harbour shopping plaza.
Did we miss a new restaurant that opened in 2025? Send an email with details to jdill@bradenton.com.
