Family diner with beachy vibes opens in Manatee County. Take a look inside
Not even Hurricane Milton could deter Tom Theophilopoulos from opening a new restaurant in the area.
Theophilopoulos and his girlfriend of more than nine years, Marilyn Medo, were displaced for 11 months following Milton’s catastrophic damage that caused flooding in Medo’s house off Cortez Road West.
During that time, Theophilopoulos, who has nearly six decades of experience as a restaurateur, juggled the recovery of their home with finding a place to open a diner.
By early 2026, he got a phone call from his local realtor.
“Really decent guy, and he called me up, ‘I got a place,’” said Theophilopoulos, who has opened more than 30 restaurants in the past and been the director of operations for four chains.
That place, located at 12012 Cortez Road W. is Izzy’s Place.
Theophilopoulos, who is from Montreal and has lived locally for the last nine years, opened the diner in March.
It was previously home to Slicker’s Eatery, which closed in February.
“Family diner making good, wholesome food,” Theophilopoulos said. “All natural stuff. Just good portions, good food, decent pricing. Family environment, a little more beachy than it was before.”
The tablecloths feature bright aqua and white checkered patterns, with artwork hanging on the walls depicting various marine scenes.
What’s on the menu?
Biscuits and gravy, a 6-ounce smashburger, waffles and omelettes are some of the signature dishes served at Izzy’s Place.
“(My chef) mixes it with cream, heavy cream, with the eggs and then he finishes it in an oven so the omelet puffs up,” Theophilopoulos said. “You put it in front of people and they look at it like, ‘Whoa.’ Usually, omelettes are flat. … and the thing about finishing anything in the oven is it cooks evenly.”
In addition to the popular breakfast items, Izzy’s Place also serves sandwiches, salads and side dishes.
On Thursdays through Saturdays, the diner offers a dinner menu between 4 p.m. and 8 p.m.
The dinner menu features appetizers such as a small Greek salad, chicken tenders and wings, while the list of entrees includes Grandma’s meatloaf dinner, an open-face turkey dinner, country fried chicken dinner and more.
Dinner portions cost under $17, while most lunch items are under $16 and breakfast meals are under $15.
Who is Izzy?
The restaurant was named in honor of Theophilopoulos’ five-year-old Havapoo dog, who is featured on the diner’s signs.
“Smart as a whip, incredible, just a sweetheart,” Theophilopoulos said.
The diner is open Tuesday through Sunday, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. The restaurant, which has around 100 seats, is open Thursday through Saturday for dinner service between 4 p.m. and 8 p.m.
For more information, visit Izzy’s Place on Facebook.
