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Anna Maria Island Sun July 2, 2025 Readers Choice

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JULY 2, 2025

WWW.AMISUN.COM - CELEBRATING 25 YEARS

THE SUN

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16 THE SUN

BUSINESS

WWW.AMISUN.COM - CELEBRATING 25 YEARS

JULY 2, 2025

CBD Store

Florist

Home Builder

Non Profit

Auto Service

5368 Gulf Drive Holmes Beach, 855-334-2530

2501 Gulf Drive Bradenton Beach, 778-2555

214 Pine Ave Anna Maria, 778-3215

407 Magnolia Ave. Anna Maria, 778-1908

5333 Gulf Drive Holmes Beach, 779-0487

Clothing Store

Holmes Beach Auto Service

Bait & Tackle Shop Keyes Marina

5501 Marina Drive Holmes Beach, 778-1977

Bank

Hancock Whitney Bank

5324 Gulf Drive Holmes Beach, 778-4900

Bike Rental

Edibles N More

Two Sides of Nature

101 S. Bay Boulevard Anna Maria, 779-2432

Convenience Store

Anna Maria General Store

503 Pine Ave Anna Maria 779-9200

Dry Cleaner

Courtesy Cleaners

7421 Manatee Ave. W. Bradenton, 794-5145

Blooms by The Beach

Gift Shop

Hotel/Motel

Outdoor Sports Store

427 Pine Ave Anna Maria 778-3316

1301 Gulf Dr N Bradenton Beach, 778-6626

4108 14th St. W. Bradenton, 751-6900

Beach Bums

Golf Cart Rental Beach Bums

427 Pine Ave Anna Maria, 778-3316

Grocery Store

Publix Supermarket

Electrician

3900 East Bay Drive Holmes Beach, 778-5422

778-0100

Hair Salon

Boating Store

Fine Dining

5501 Marina Drive Holmes Beach, 778-1977

111 S Bay Blvd. Anna Maria, 778-1515

5311 Gulf Drive Holmes Beach, 778-5400

Beach Bums Rentals

427 Pine Ave. Anna Maria, 778-3316

Keyes Marina

Anthony’s Heating & Cooling

The Waterfront

Car Wash

Fitness

6412 Manatee Ave W. Bradenton, 564-3072

7449 Manatee Ave W Bradenton, 313-207-8506

Carpet Cleaner

Floor Coverings

3801 9th Ave W. Bradenton, 778-2882

5917 Manatee Ave. W. Bradenton, 941-896-9640

Sun & Suds Car Wash

Fat Cat Carpet Cleaning

Prosper Bradenton

Tradewinds Tile & Stone

The Center of Anna Maria

Gagne Construction

Acqua Aveda Salon, Spa and Store

Hardware Store Ace Hardware

3352 E Bay Drive Holmes Beach, 778-0999

Heat & Air

Anthony’s Heating & Cooling 778-0100

Dicks Sporting Goods

Silver Surf Resort

Painter

House Cleaner

Cabinet Renew

Higor Cleaning Services

1629 W University Pkwy Sarasota, 941-837-8676

501 Pine Avenue Anna Maria, 941-212-6941

Pest Control

Jewelry Store

Anna Maria Pest Control

Bridge Street Jewelers

129 Bridge Street Bradenton Beach, 896-7800

Liquor Store

5353 Gulf Drive Holmes Beach, 778-1524

5501 Marina Dr Holmes Beach, 778-1977

Beach Bums

427 Pine Ave Anna Maria, 778-3316

5343 Gulf Drive Holmes Beach, 778-0885

Pet Store

AMI Beach & Dog Supply CO.

Marina

Men’s Apparel

Pet Grooming The Paw Spa

Time Saver Liquor Store

Keyes Marina

11610 3rd Ave. E. Bradenton, 778-1630

313 Pine Ave Anna Maria, 713-8970

Pharmacist (tie) Todd CVS

611 Manatee Ave Holmes Beach,778-1411

Teresa at Walgreens

3200 East Bay Drive Holmes Beach, 778-0451

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JULY 2, 2025

Pharmacy CVS

611 Manatee Ave Holmes Beach,778-1411

Plumber

Air & Energy

555 6th Ave. W. Bradenton, 778-0773

Pool Cleaner

Stand Up Pools

Pool Contractor

WWW.AMISUN.COM - CELEBRATING 25 YEARS

Resort

Anna Maria Resorts Tradewinds Beach Resort

1603 Gulf Drive North Bradenton Beach, 779-0100

Roofer

Trust Mike Roofing

5300 Gulf Dr Holmes Beach 807-6507

Retirement Community

National Church Residences

Agnelli Pools & Construction

Service Station

Real Estate Associate

5424 Marina Dr Holmes Beach 778-6903

7411 Manatee Ave. W. #200 Bradenton, 778-4333

Cindy Quinn Sato Real Estate Inc.

519 Pine Ave. Anna Maria, 778-7200

Real Estate Company Sato Real Estate Inc.

519 Pine Ave. Anna Maria, 778-7200

Rental Company

Sato Real Estate Inc.

519 Pine Ave. Anna Maria, 778-7200

Bar & Grill

427 Pine Ave Anna Maria, 778-3316

9903 Gulf Drive Anna Maria, 567-5999

Beach Bums

PEOPLE & PLACES Architectural Design Beacon Home Design

2423 Manatee Ave. W. Bradenton. 941-962-7571

Architect

2423 Manatee Ave. W. Bradenton. 941-962-7571

Art Gallery

Artist Guild Gallery

Shopping Center

Pineapple Marketplace

425 Pine Ave Anna Maria, 216-4226

5414 Marina Dr Holmes Beach 778-6694

Artist

Kristi Marie Photography

Souvenir Shop Beach Bums

427 Pine Ave Anna Maria, 778-3316

Spa

Aluna Day Spa

Women’s Apparel

Beacon Home Design

Shell Station

2219 Gulf Dr N Bradenton Beach 778-8400

THE SUN

Attorney Nick Sato

2071 Ringling Blvd. #400 Sarasota, 861-4400

Band

The Dr. Dave Band

drdaveband.com

Harry’s Grill

Bartender

Chiropractor

Natural Healing Arts David Zamikoff

6220 Manatee Ave W 761-1100

Kayla gRub Tropical BBQ

Dentist

Beach

Doctor

Boat Captain

3909 East Bay Drive #100 Holmes Beach, 778-1007

415 Pine Ave Anna Maria, 900-2874

Coquina Beach Lance Plowman

Florida Fishing Fleet 941-720-6147

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Island Dental Spa

3909 E Bay Dr Ste #205 Holmes Beach, 778-2204

Stephen Pelham, M.D.

Eye Care

LensCrafters

Business Person

6725 Mantee Ave W Bradenton 746-4300

778-0100

Financial Planner

Mike Zeppi Anthony’s Heating & Cooling

Caterer

Edward Jones John Campora

415 Pine Ave Anna Maria, 900-2874

Fishing Charter

Ben Sato gRub Topical BBQ

Chef

Ben Sato gRub Topical BBQ

415 Pine Ave Anna Maria, 900-2874

Thank you for voting us

Your Favorite Seafood Restaurant

Dive into OysterBar.net for menus, locations, specials, and our family story.

6400 Manatee Ave W Suite B 779-2499

Captain Will Osborne Fishing Charters 941-580-7293

Individual Entertainer KoKo Ray

538-8724


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WWW.AMISUN.COM - CELEBRATING 25 YEARS

JULY 2, 2025


JULY 2, 2025

Interior Design

Margaret Navy James & Co. Interior Design 941-962-4421

Massage Therapy Aluna Wellness

2219 Gulf Dr N Bradenton beach, 778-8400

Personal Trainer Breanna Newton

Home Fitness by Bre dnewton@airguaranteed.com

School

Anna Maria Elementary

4700 Gulf Drive Holmes Beach, 708-5525

School Teacher Ms. Veen

Palmetto Elementary 1540 10th St. W. Palmetto, 941-723-4822

Veterinarian Dr Bystrom

Island Animal Clinic5343 Gulf Dr Unit 900 Holmes Beach 778-2445

Veterinarian Clinic

Island Animal Clinic5343 Gulf Dr Unit 900 Holmes Beach 778-2445

WWW.AMISUN.COM - CELEBRATING 25 YEARS

View

Barbeque

Waiter/Waitress

415 Pine Ave Anna Maria, 900-2874

Bean Point Linda Kissell Harry’s Grill

9903 Gulf Drive Anna Maria, 567-5999

Yoga Studio

Aluna Wellness

2219 Gulf Dr N Bradenton beach, 778-8400

FOOD & ENTERTAINMENT Asian Restaurant Island Ocean Star

902 S Bay Blvd Anna Maria, 251-6940

Bagel Shop

Ginny’s & Jane E’s

9807 Gulf Drive Anna Maria, 778-3170

Bakery

Hometown Desserts

507 Pine Ave. Anna Maria, 896-3167

gRub Tropical BBQ

Boat Tour

Ben Webb - AMI Dolphin Tours 5325 Marina Drive Holmes Beach, 281-3461

Breakfast

Ginny’s & Jane E’s

9807 Gulf Drive Anna Maria, 778-3170

Burger

Harry’s Bar & Grill

9903 Gulf Drive Anna Maria, 567-5999

Café

5350 Pour House

5350 Holmes Beach, 251-3681

Candy Store

Dips Ice Cream

503 Pine Ave Anna Maria, 778-1706

Deli

Scott’s Deli

5337 Gulf Drive Ste. 300 Holmes Beach, 778-3000

THE SUN

Festival

Live Theater

German Restaurant

10009 Gulf Drive Anna Maria, 778-5755

Cortez Fishing Festival Lucky Frog Restaurant

4625 Cortez Rd. W. Bradenton, 795-2132

Golf Course

Pinebrook Ironwood Golf

4260 Ironwood Cir Bradenton, 792-3288

Grouper Sandwich Cortez Kitchen

4528 119th St. W. Cortez, 941-900-1506

Ice Cream Shop

Two Scoops Ice Cream

101 S. Bay Blvd. Anna Maria, 779-2422

Island Players

Margarita

Wicked Cantina

101 7th St. N. Bradenton Beach, 281-2990

Mexican Restaurant Wicked Cantina

101 7th St. N. Bradenton Beach, 281-2990

Most Romantic Restaurant The Waterfront

111 S Bay Drive Anna Maria, 778-1515

New Restaurant Salt Bar and Table

Italian Restaurant

2519 Gulf Drive N Bradenton Beach 896-9897

3244 E Bay Dr. Holmes Beach, 778-8118

Night Spot

Key Lime Pie

9903 Gulf Drive Anna Maria, 567-5999

Solo’s Pizza

Hometown Desserts

507 Pine Ave. Anna Maria, 896-3167

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Harry’s Bar & Grill

Pier

Rod and Reel Pier

875 North Shore Drive Anna Maria, 778-1885


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WWW.AMISUN.COM - CELEBRATING 25 YEARS

JULY 2, 2025


JULY 2, 2025

WWW.AMISUN.COM - CELEBRATING 25 YEARS

THE SUN

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The Waterfront combines creativity, comfort Offering a view of Tampa Bay and located at 111 South Bay Blvd. in Anna Maria, The Waterfront Restaurant & Craft Bar claims Reader’s Choice Awards as the readers’ favorite overall restaurant, favorite fine dining restaurant and most romantic restaurant. “I’m flattered,” Waterfront owner Jason Suzor said. “It’s testament to our staff and the commitment we have to putting the best effort into every plate we put out; and to how our staff members communicate with our guests. Consistency is the hardest part of the restaurant business and it’s like Broadway: There’s things that happen every day, but the show must go on. We offer a positive and comfortable place to relax and enjoy a great meal and we create a workspace where we have fun too.” The Waterfront offers two outdoor dining areas,

THE WATERFRONT | SUBMITTED

The Waterfront Restaurant & Craft Bar offers a tantalizing array of food and drink options. the main indoor dining area and the bar area that accommodates dining or enjoying drinks and appetizers. “We were one of the first craft bars in Florida and we’ve put a lot of effort into our bartender/chefs building drinks from scratch. Our drinks are a big part of our success,” Suzor said. The Jalapeno Margarita, Smoked Margarita, 1944 Mai-Tai and Kentucky Breakfast are among the featured craft cocktails. The Waterfront also offers

an impressive wine menu, craft beers and more. “We cut our own steaks and we get our fish fresh,” he said. “We’re a ‘scratch kitchen’ and there are only a few items we don’t make from scratch. We make all our own sauces and salad dressings and someone builds them from scratch.” The Waterfront is open Sunday-Thursday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Visit www. thewaterfrontrestaurant. net.


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WWW.AMISUN.COM - CELEBRATING 25 YEARS

Two Scoops, Two Sides of Nature claim Readers’ Choice Awards Owned by Dave and Mary LaBell and located in the Bayview Plaza at 101 South Bay Boulevard in Anna Maria, Two Scoops is once again the Readers’ Choice Award winner in the ice cream shop category. “We want to thank everyone for voting for us again this year and we appreciate the support. We’ve won the last several years and we’ve been in business nearly 25 years,” Dave LaBell said. When asked what makes Two Scoops a perennial winner, LaBell said, “Our pricing, service and the quality of our products.” With more than 30 flavors to choose from, the specialty ice cream offerings include Muddy Sneaker, Trashcan, Sea Salt Caramel, Captain America, Blueberry Pie, Maple Walnut, Bing Cherry and Gator Tracks and several traditional favorites too. “We’re now make our own ice cream,” he noted. “We’ve been contracting that for the past 15 years. We bought our producer and now produce it ourselves in a warehouse in Sarasota. Our ice cream is great. It’s homemade and no one else carries it.” And there’s more: “We do a full breakfast menu with French toast, eggs, bagels, bacon sandwiches and more. We also serve lunch - chili dogs, hot dogs, wraps, hoagies and more. And we have great prices.” Two Scoops is one of three businesses

JOE HENDRICKS | SUN

Two Scoops serves homemade ice cream and a whole lot more. the LaBells own and operate in Bayview Plaza, along with their Two Sides of Nature and Two Sides of Nature Too retail stores that sell resort wear and other fashions and accessories, home décor, gifts and more. Two Sides of Nature is the Reader’s Choice Award winner in the clothing store category. “We offer top quality resort fashions,” LaBell said. Regarding last year’s hurricanes, LaBell said, “We closed for a couple months while we recovered from the storms. Everything’s new inside our stores. We have over 30 employees and we invite everyone to stop in and say hello to our team. We’re across the street from the pier, at the corner of Pine and South Bay Boulevard.” Learn more at www.twoscoopsami.com, www.twosidesofnatureami.com and www. twosidestoo.com.

JULY 2, 2025


JULY 2, 2025

WWW.AMISUN.COM - CELEBRATING 25 YEARS

THE SUN

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WWW.AMISUN.COM - CELEBRATING 25 YEARS

JULY 2, 2025


JULY 2, 2025

WWW.AMISUN.COM - CELEBRATING 25 YEARS

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WWW.AMISUN.COM - CELEBRATING 25 YEARS

Keyes Marina, Island Discount Tackle offer award-winning services Located at 5501 Marina Drive in Holmes Beach, Keyes Marina and Island Discount Tackle are the Readers’ Choice Award winners in the favorite marina, bait and tackle shop and boating store categories. Brothers Jimmy, Joe and Johnny Keyes own and operate the marina and the bait and tackle shop. “It’s a family business,” Jimmy Keyes said. “We started here in 2010 when my dad and mom bought it. Pop (Paul) passed away going on five years now and mom (Sally) is still kicking, but she moved to Texas. Her house got completely inundated in the floods.” Regarding the Reader’s Choice Awards, Keyes said, “It’s always good when someone thinks you’re the best. The fishing tackle store is kind of the center point of the operation.” Touted as “The biggest little tackle shop in Florida” at www.keyesmarina.com, Island Discount Tackle is a full service, prostyle tackle shop that features brand name fishing equipment and tackle and includes a pro-style fly fishing section. The shop sells live bait and frozen bait and fishing licenses – and local fishing knowledge is dispensed at no extra charge. “We are staffed by fishermen, not salesmen,” the website says.

Thanuk! Yo

JOE HENDRICKS | SUN

Keyes Marina and Island Discount Tackle are located in the heart of Holmes Beach. “We have 20 wet slips that we rent daily, weekly and monthly,” Keyes said the of the slips located along the 52nd Street side of the boat basin. “We’re a small marina but we can get 30-foot boats in here no problem. The holiday weekends are always full, but otherwise we usually have some transient slips open. We do a lunch slip. People come in for the day from Venice or Tampa. If you’re in after we open and out before we close, that’s 20 bucks and it doesn’t matter the size of the boat. People use that to have lunch and walk around. We also have fuel, ship supplies and a mechanic that works on outboard engines." Keyes Marina is open 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. every day except Christmas. Reserve a slip by calling 941-779-2838.

Favorite Mexican Food Favorite Margaritas

Mouthwatering Tacos ~ Full Service ~ Family Vibe See our website www.WickedCantina.com

Locations ~ Menus~ Music Schedule & More

JULY 2, 2025


JULY 2, 2025

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WWW.AMISUN.COM - CELEBRATING 25 YEARS

JULY 2, 2025


JULY 2, 2025

WWW.AMISUN.COM - CELEBRATING 25 YEARS

THE SUN

Pizza

Specialty Gourmet

308 Pine Ave. Anna Maria, 251-4070

415 Pine Ave. Anna Maria, 900-2874

Pizza Social

gRub Tropical BBQ

Restaurant (Overall)

Sub/Sandwich

111 S. Bay Drive Anna Maria, 778-1515

5337 Gulf Drive Suite 300 Holmes Beach, 778-3000

The Waterfront

Scott’s Deli

Seafood Restaurant

Takeout

Oysterbar.net

5360 Gulf Drive Holmes Beach, 778-4140

Anna Maria Oyster Bar

Specialty Cocktail

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Minnie’s

Dr. Office

5312 Holmes Blvd. Holmes Beach, 213-9926

KYLE MESSINA/MANATEE COUNTY NATURAL RESOURCES | SUBMITTED

The tracks, far right and far left, from a loggerhead turtle that nested at Emerson Point Preserve were spotted by Manatee County Natural Resources staff.

Historic first sea turtle nest found at Emerson Point Preserve

BY LESLIE LAKE

SUN CORRESPONDENT | llake@amisun.com

SNEAD ISLAND - For the first time in history, as far as Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring records show, a sea turtle nest was laid at Emerson Point Preserve, on the north shore of the Manatee River. “This year we have found sea turtle nests in a variety of unusual places. This week was no different,” Turtle Watch Executive Director Kristen Mazzarella wrote in a June 27 email. “We got a call from Manatee County Natural Resources about a nest that was laid at Emerson Point Preserve. As far as we know, this is the very first nest for this county park.” The nest was confirmed by

Turtle Watch volunteers and caged to prevent raccoon predation. “We are excited to see how this nest fares,” she said. “Some other unusual locations include a turtle that traversed a seawall and silt fencing to nest in a construction site and a turtle that nested underneath an Adirondack chair right next to a firepit,” Mazzarella wrote. “If you notice a sea turtle nest on your property, we could use your help! Please make sure that people staying at the house are aware that the nest site is protected and follow our turtle friendly tips of keeping the area clean, dark and flat.”


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