Restaurant News: Fat Point, Five-O Donut, Primo Ristorante, Del Taco

SARASOTA-BRADENTON, FL — Here's the latest restaurant and bar news in Sarasota and Manatee counties:

Fat Point Brewing Opens Sarasota Location

Punta Gorda-based Fat Point Brewing is expanding with a new location in Sarasota. The brewery will make and serve its beer from a 2,500-square-foot space at University Town Center, according to a news release.

"Fat Point is a brand built by the support of the community, and we’re very excited to bring our brand to this new community at UTC,” LJ Govoni, president of Fat Point Brewing Co., said. “The location will feature a significant number of taps for brewed-on-site exclusives and an inviting outdoor beer garden for socializing while you sip on great beers best enjoyed in the sun.”

Fat Point gets its name from Punta Gorda, which literally means “Fat Point” or the area where the waters of Peace River and Gasparilla Sound meet.

The new brewpub will be located along Cattlemen Road in the West District at UTC. The menu will offer coastal-inspired bar fare, and beer drinkers will be able to find everything from Fat Point’s flagship ale, Big Boca, to site exclusive small batches.

Five-O Donut Co. Expanding into St. Petersburg

Five-O Donut Co., a local donut chain with locations throughout the Sarasota and Bradenton areas, is expanding north into St. Petersburg.

The company has signed a lease to open at 1003 4th Street N., which formerly housed Uptown Snoballs, according to St. Pete Rising.

Owner Christine Nordstrom said, “We are so excited to be coming over the bridge. It’s been a goal of mine for some time to bring our ‘arrestingly good donuts’ to St. Pete.”

Make your Thanksgiving plans:

• Sarasota Area Restaurants Open For Thanksgiving Day 2022
• Bradenton Area Restaurants Open For Thanksgiving Day 2022

Breakfast at Victoria’s Opens in Holmes Beach

After closing its Sarasota location because of damage sustained during Hurricane Ian, Breakfast at Victoria’s has opened its new Anna Maria Island space.

“We are on full swing now,” the restaurant shared in a Facebook post about its new Holmes Beach location at 5315 Gulf Drive.

The restaurant serves a fusion of Italian and American cuisine and is open Tuesday through Sunday, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. and then 5 to 9 p.m. for its wine bar.

In an older social media post, the owners indicated they’re not done with Sarasota just yet.

“We are planning to relocate our Sarasota location in a better spot for us, so stay tuned,” they wrote.

Primo Ristorante Closes in Sarasota

After 36 years in business, Primo Ristorante at 8076 N. Tamiami Trail in Sarasota closed its doors for good on Sunday.

“It is a hard and an emotional decision, but we believe is the right time to drop the curtains like a great Italian opera,” according to a Facebook post by the restaurant.

Primo was owned by chef Maurizio Colucci, an Italian native. He worked in hotels and restaurants in Venice, Rome, Milan, Switzerland, France and Germy, according to the website.

The restaurant also offered catering and had an on-premise banquet room that could seat 30 to 95 guests.

First Del Taco in the Tampa Bay Area Opens

The first Del Taco in the Tampa Bay area held its grand opening in Bradenton on Wednesday.

The quick-service fresh Mexican restaurant opened at 5610 Manatee Ave.

The franchise owners, who live in Manatee County, employ 45 part-time and 10 full-time staff members, according to a Facebook post from the county. It’s open daily from 10 a.m. to midnight.

The new Del Taco location is part of a multi-unit development deal with FreshMex FL LLC, Patch previously reported.

The “Fresh Flex” locations will be an offshoot of Del Taco’s fast-and-fresh approach to Mexican food that will focus primarily on pickup and drive-thru options, the company said in a news release.

At least seven locations will open in the region.

Bijou Garden Café to Host Broadway Brunch Over Thanksgiving Weekend

Downtown Sarasota’s Bijou Garden Café will feature local performers for its November Bijou Broadway Brunch event over Thanksgiving weekend.

The popular monthly Broadway Brunch takes place Nov. 27 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and will be hosted by Joey Panek and feature George Dejong at the piano. Panek and Dejong will be joined by singers Laura McKenna and Ellen Kleinschmidt, according to a news release from the restaurant.

Guests will be able to order from a special menu prepared by executive chef Christopher Covelli and his culinary team. The menu will feature freshly baked quiche, eggs Benedict, salads and lunch fare.

St. Pete Coffee Shop Opening Manatee County Location

The St. Petersburg-based The Blend Coffee & Cocktails is opening a new location in Manatee County.

In what will be its first location outside St. Pete, the coffeeshop is among the newest tenants announced for Gateway Commons at I-75 and Moccasin Willow Road, the Bradenton Herald reported.