New Bradenton breakfast-lunch cafe on Main Street

MANATEE — A breakfast and lunch cafe on Old Main Street in downtown Bradenton, the former Beck’s Bistro, has changed hands.The eatery has been sold to Melissa Hays, who worked under the previous owner Werner Beck. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

The contract was finalized Feb. 29, and the new Bistro on 12th sign was up before dark, officially opening for customers March 1.

Bistro on 12th will retain many of the same menu staples as its predecessor, but a new emphasis will be placed on fresh, quick and healthier items, said Rene Hays-Button, Hays’ sister and co-owner.

The restaurant serves sandwiches, salads and breakfast pastries. The new owners also are branding their own specialty coffee.

Bistro on 12th is open 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday and during downtown events. Hays-Button said those hours may expand in the future.

The owners also will begin a kitchen expansion at the 1,100-square-foot bistro this weekend, broadening their menu potential.

“It kind of fell on our lap,” Hays-Button said of the deal. “Everything happened so quickly. A lot of exciting things are going on downtown, and it’s ideal for us to be right in the thick of it.”

Beck, who owned the restaurant for two years, decided to sell largely due to an auto accident he suffered in Detroit about six months ago that led to two back surgeries.

Beck said the health issues just made it too problematic for his family to operate the Main Street restaurant and the original Beck’s location at 611 Manatee Ave. East, which has been open for four years.

Beck also has added dinner service to the Manatee Street restaurant, with a new menu featuring speciality European dishes and German entrees.

“We just couldn’t run two businesses anymore,” Beck said. “We were very involved, and it was fun, but it just became too much with my injury.”

Other restaurant openings include the Blue Marlin Grill on Bridge Street in Bradenton Beach, which opened in November. Operated by Adam Ellis, the seafood restaurant serves fresh fish purchased daily in Cortez.

The Ocean Harvest Market and Grill also this year moved into a new 5120 Manatee Ave. W. location just a few blocks down the road from its previous spot.

The move allowed the restaurant and seafood market to expand with a full-service bar and menu.

“I have some specialty things on there nobody’s ever seen before like my squid fries,” said chef and partner Mark Baker. “It’s fresh seafood.”

Josh Salman, Herald business writer, can be reached at 941-745-7095. Follow him on Twitter @JoshSalman

This story was originally published March 8, 2012 at 3:55 PM with the headline "New Bradenton breakfast-lunch cafe on Main Street."