Things to do on and around Siesta Key
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What’s New in Gulf Gate? By Jane Bartnett
Sephora's grand opening in Gulf Gate's Sarasota Pavilion Shopping Center is set for December 6. Old Navy will open this winter. (Photo: Jane Bartnett)
Three National Retailers Opening This month, Gulf Gate will welcome the first of three new national brands to the Sarasota Pavilion Shopping Center. Located at the intersection of Stickney Point Road and South Tamiami Trail, and from Gulf Gate Drive, the shopping center covers a total of 343, 294 square feet. On Friday, December 6, Sephora, the popular beauty and cosmetics retailer will celebrate its grand opening. Known for its large selection of leading cosmetics brands, Sephora is owned by LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton. More than 500 Sephora stores are found in the United States. This winter, Old Navy will also
open, alongside Sephora. Founded in California in 1994, Old Navy is a popular family clothing store offering fashions for women, men and children. Gap Inc. is Old Navy’s parent company. This winter, shoppers are also anticipating the opening of World Market in Gulf Gate’s Sarasota Pavilion Shopping Center. World Market sells furniture, decor and home items, jewelry, gifts as well as housewares and foods from around the world. The specialty retailer operates 240 locations nationally. It is located next to Publix. Sephora, Old Navy and World Market join a collection of other national brands currently found at the Gulf Gate shopping center that draws customers from Siesta Key, Gulf Gate and surrounding
areas. Michael’s, Marshall’s, Pet Smart, Ross for Less, Five Below and Panera Bread, a large Skechers shoe store and Bank of America are also located in the shopping center. Florida’s Beall’s and Publix represent the sunshine state. 2nd Friday Festival Debuts Gulf Gate merchants celebrated the start of the new season with their first Gulf Gate 2nd Friday Festival that debuted on Friday, November 8. The monthly festival will continue the second Friday of every month from 4-8 p.m., through the spring. The event was the brainchild of Diana Reason, who owns Only Eyes Optical Boutique on Superior Avenue and chef Fatima Soriano, Continued on page 9V
Fin & Tonic celebrates one year of seafood and fun
M
ark and Lori Mitchell, two of the three coowners behind Fin & Tonic on South Tamiami Trail, are no strangers to the restaurant game. The couple previously owned restaurants in Scottsdale, Arizona, and still operate several Jimmy John’s franchises (including the Sarasota Bradenton International Airport location) under Mitchell Management Brands. But Fin & Tonic is their biggest contribution to date to the south Sarasota scene: a chef-driven spot with a menu of favorite flavors, a balanced price range, regular live music, and a vibrant happy hour atmosphere. In other words: exactly the kind of place where they like to hang out. This October, Fin & Tonic
By Hannah Wallace passed the pivotal one-yearin-business milestone, and the owners and clientele alike still have a few more things to celebrate—including an updated menu from chef Nils Tarantik, as well as the promised completion of road construction work that had hindered access to the seafood spot since Day 1. Fin & Tonic arose from the Mitchells’ own inclinations. “I’m in my late 50s. My wife and I like to go out,” said Mark, who’s originally from Omaha, Nebraska. “We live in Osprey. There are some great choices, but we thought there could be more.” They partnered with Javi Alvarez, a longtime Sarasota restaurant operator whose previous projects have included everything from Olive Garden to
Siesta’s own Clayton’s. The three then hired Tarantik, who previously worked at element, a downtown Sarasota steakhouse, and Fleming’s before that. Together, the team assembled a menu featuring locally sourced seafood as well as land options that met Mark’s Midwest-born standards. The location they chose had previously been a Red Lobster, in part for the ample parking, and set about revamping the interior— including adding a second bar in back, a state-of-the-art AV system, and a specially designed private event space. Fin & Tonic opened in October 2023, in the face of ongoing roadwork that forced people to drive almost a mile south of the restaurant before Continued on page 9V
Fin & Tonic is located at 6747 S. Tamiami Trail.
SIESTA KEY
SWIMWEAR RESORT WEAR ACCESSORIES
1960 Stickney Pt Rd 941.922.4545
DOWNTOWN
50 N Tamiami Trl 941.954.8800
LONGBOAT
3170 Gulf of Mexico Dr 941.383.2288
www.SwimCity.com