New restaurant with farm-to-table bowls coming to Bradenton-Sarasota’s UTC mall
Naked Farmer, a Tampa-based farm-to-fork restaurant chain serving locally-sourced, seasonal food, plans to open in the University Town Center in the summer of 2023.
It will be the company’s fourth location.
The restaurant is planned for a 2,300-square-foot space between Blaze Pizza and Crumbl Cookies in the West District at UTC.
Naked Farmer is a fine-casual restaurant with a healthy menu that changes with the seasons for quality and taste.
Diners can choose from one of the rotating chef pairings or build their own harvest bowls filled with fresh, locally-sourced ingredients, the company says.
The restaurant partners with farmers they know, like Brick Street Farms in St. Petersburg, which means vegetables are harvested as little as 24 hours before being served. Meals are made from scratch daily, starting at $12.
“UTC has become a hub for health and wellness, with its variety of fitness studios, free weekly outdoor workout classes and proximity to Nathan Benderson Park, so it was a natural choice for us to grow into this area and serve the health-conscious community,” Naked Farmer founder Jordan Johnson said in a press release.
“We look forward to connecting local farmers to the community and providing our new neighbors on the Suncoast with increased access to local, farm-fresh food,” Johnson said.
The company has built a direct-to-farm supply chain with farms in the Tampa Bay region and throughout Florida.
The menu is developed in direct conversation with small and medium-sized farmers nearby, brought in from the fields, and cooked by chefs who know their vegetables.
Some of the fall menu items currently available include roasted sweet potatoes, charred broccoli with lemon and garlic, and roasted carrots with spicy vegan ranch.
Naked Farmer has restaurants in Tampa, St. Petersburg and Coral Gables, and has a fifth restaurant planned for Sunrise.
Among other new restaurants and shops previously announced by Benderson Development for University Town Center:
▪ Florida’s first Homesense, opening Nov. 10 in a 30,000-square-foot storefront in the West District at UTC next to Old Navy on the western side of Cattlemen Drive.
▪ Rocco’s Tacos and Tequila Bar, opening soon in the West District at UTC, offering a wide range of margaritas, made-to-order guacamole, tacos and more in a 4,500-square-foot restaurant with indoor and outdoor seating.
▪ Yard House, a modern American restaurant and bar with more than 100 beers on tap. Expected to open in early 2023 on the corner of University Parkway and Cattlemen Road.
▪ Foxtail Coffee Co., an Orlando-based company that prides itself on sourcing organic Arabica coffee which is grown on farms around the world.
▪ 3Natives Acai and Juicery, which was founded in 2013 as a small juice bar and has grown about 20 stores serving Florida and beyond.
▪ Anna Maria Oyster Bar is going into space previously occupied by Newk’s Eatery in The Square at University Town Center, 5405 University Parkway.
▪ Kelly’s Roast Beef, a Boston-area staple for more than 70 years, will debut it first Florida location in the Square at UTC, 5207 University Parkway.
▪ Post Kitchen & Bar, a modern American bistro will feature an extensive wine and craft cocktail list, large raw bar, fresh seafood, steaks and salads, in a 4,400-square-foot space in the the Shoppes at UTC, 7978 Cooper Creek Blvd., University Park.
▪ The Breakfast Company. Operated by the mother-and-son team of Terri and Dimitri Syros, company opened its first restaurant in 2020 in Tara’s Twelve Oaks Plaza.
▪ Christmas Tree Shops, opening this month at 147 N Cattlemen Road.
