Restaurant owners on Anna Maria Island anticipate busy week leading up to New Year’s

Restaurant owners throughout Anna Maria Island are still riding the wave from a busy Christmas weekend and anticipate it won’t slow down as New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day approach.

“We’re always very busy the week between Christmas and New Year’s,” said Charlotte Mansur, co-owner of Mr. Bones BBQ at 3007 Gulf Dr., Holmes Beach. “We have a lot of history to draw that from. It used to be our busiest week but now we have many busy weeks in March, actually.”

Mansur, who has owned the business with husband Eric Connors since 1992, said she expects Mr. Bones BBQ to be very busy this week leading up to New Year’s Eve.

“New Year’s (Eve) is a funny night because we’re busy early but then, by 8, 9 o’clock, people are getting ready to go to their parties and it kind of dies,” Mansur said. “We close at 9, luckily. ... We’re just looking forward to a good year on the island — a good season.”

Anna Maria Oyster Bar President John Horne said it’s been a great start to the holiday season. On Tuesday, he noted it’s been a year since he opened the new location at 200 Bridge St., Bradenton Beach — at the Historic Bridge Street Pier.

“It started off gang busters (Monday) morning. I was out cooking breakfast (Mnday) morning,” Horne said Tuesday. “The week between Christmas and New Year’s on the island is almost as busy as the three weeks before Christmas combined. It’s just crazy, so we always look forward to the week between Christmas and New Year’s.

Caryn Hodge, marketing director for the Chiles Restaurant Group – it has three properties: the Sandbar Restaurant in the city of Anna Maria, the Beach House Restaurant in Bradenton Beach and the Mar Vista Dockside Restaurant & Pub in Longboat Key – said there’s a special caviar menu that will be available on New Year’s Eve at all three restaurants.

“Each restaurant is doing something a little bit different,” she said, adding that the Sandbar Restaurant will feature stone crab paired with caviar from Sarasota-based Healthy Earth Caviar.

This story was originally published December 27, 2016 at 2:16 PM with the headline "Restaurant owners on Anna Maria Island anticipate busy week leading up to New Year’s."