As a supplement to What It Used To Be in Sarasota, FL, we will be spotlighting advertisements of some of the interesting and intriguing business establishments that have operated or are still operating in Sarasota .

1976 - A's Giant Sandwich

Still popular today at its 6300 S. Tamiami Tr. location, A's Giant Sandwich once had three locations in this area!

  

1989 - The Alphabet Shop

 A long time staple of the Gulf Gate Mall was the Alphabet Shop.

1977 - Arthur Treacher's Fish & Chips

1971 - Burger Queen

Did you know that Burger Queen also served pizza in addition to their burgers?

1984 - Camelot Restaurant

The restaurant behind what was Southgate Plaza (now Westfield Siesta Key Mall) is known for being the home of Beasley's Restaurant from the mid 80's to the late 90's and Toojays from 2002 to 2020. It actually opened as the short-lived Camelot Restaurant during the early-to-mid 80's.

1955 - Cheney's Market

As online grocery pickup has become popular over recent years, Cheney's was essentially offering the same service (by telephone, of course) over 65 years ago!

1965 - Chick-n-Treat

The place for Georgia chicken from 1965 to about 1967 in Sarasota was Chick-n-Treat, located on South Tamiami Trail next to Economy Tackle.

1979 - Dairy Queen

Unfortunately, these days one has to travel to Bradenton or Venice to visit a Dairy Queen.  It seems long ago now, but for over two decades, there were two locations in Sarasota, including the long-time location on S. Washington Blvd. There was even a third location on Clark Rd. for a brief time in the early 80's.

1949 - Economy Fishing Tackle Co.

Through all of the changes in Sarasota over the past 75 years, there is still one constant on South Tamiami Trail.

1957 - Hob Nob

This Sarasota institution for 67 years until closing in May 2024 actually got its name in a Pick-A-Name contest. Obviously, it was the right choice!

1971 - Hot Diggity Dog

When this small, non-descript ad appeared in the newspapers in January 1971, who could have foreseen (except for maybe the owners!) that this restaurant would still be going strong at the same location over 50 years later!

1973 - JW's Family Restaurant    

In contrast to Hot Diggity Dog, this restaurant in the future Adami's location was open for such a short time that it never made it to a yearly street directory.  Hopefully everyone made their Thanksgiving reservations early and didn't get left out!

1961 - Liggett Touchton Drugs       

You may not think of a drug store as a place to enjoy a fried chicken meal today, but 60 years ago, for the price of just 50 cents per meal, you actually could! 

And in 1963, you could order up a steak dinner for a whopping 87 cents at that same drug store!

1957 - McDonald's

It was quite the occasion when McDonald's opened not only their first Sarasota location at 1707 S. Tamiami Tr., but according to the Sarasota News, their first Florida location!

 1993 - Nathan's Famous

One of many franchised food outlets that came and went in Sarasota, although they still operated locations elsewhere in Florida was Nathan's from 1992 to 1994.  It was located in the former Mr. Gatti's Pizza building and later became a combination Dunkin Donuts/Miami Subs and is currently the home of Tijuana Flats. You can still pick up Nathan's famous hot dogs in Sarasota in the freezer section of your local grocer.

1994 - Peg Leg Pete's

Peg Leg Pete's has been a popular restaurant in Pensacola Beach since 1991, but did you know there was once a Peg Leg Pete's in Sarasota?   It would later become a Denny's Restaurant that is still there today.

1988 - Perfectly Frank

In the late 1980's, Florida's Famous Chargrilled Hot Dogs could be found at Perfectly Frank, located in the former Arthur Treacher's Fish & Chips building on S. Tamiami Tr

.

1990 - Popeyes Chicken

Popeyes has been a fixture in Sarasota since the early 1980's at their 820 N. Washington Blvd. location and for a time in the early 1990's, there was a second Popeye's location in Sarasota at 5733 Clark Rd. After closing, this location became a Wings-N-Weenies restaurant for about 20 years and is currently Tap 72.

                  

1987 - Publix

While it seems like there is a Publix Supermarket everywhere you look today; at the end of 1987, there were "only" eight Publix locations in Sarasota, including one in Longboat Key. Out of these eight stores, five have been torn down and rebuilt, either at the same location or at a nearby location.  Two others moved from their existing, still-standing building to a brand new building nearby and one (Trail Plaza) just plain closed down in April 1996 due to sales not meeting expectations.

1970 - Red Lobster

Red Lobster opened its fourth Florida location at 6747 S. Tamiami Tr. in December of 1970.  After over a half-century of operating at this location, the company decided not to renew its lease and the restaurant closed in January of 2022.  A nearby Red Lobster still operating at 5711 14th St. W. in Bradenton celebrated its 50th year of operation in 2021. There has certainly been some amazing longevity for this franchise in the Sarasota-Bradenton area!

1974 - Romano's Restaurant/El Adobe Restaurant

The restaurant at 4023 So. Tamiami Trail had two tenants in 1974.  The first served the best in Italian American food before closing and the second served fine Mexican food after opening later in the year.  When the second restaurant finally closed forty years later when the owners decided to retire, it was pretty safe to say which type of restaurant Sarasota residents prefer (well, at least at this location!),

  

1972 - Shakey's Pizza Parlor

Although the Sarasota Shakey's location only lasted about a half-dozen years or so and has been gone over 45 years, it is still one of the most revered pizza restaurants this city has had!

                         

1955 - Sisters Sundries

A huge event in the Fruitville area in October 1955 was the opening of Sister Sundries.  Residents in the area could now buy soda, sandwiches and eventually fill up their tank with gas all at this one location without having to drive a few miles west into town!  After about 20 years in business, the building at 817 Honore Ave. then became the very popular Trevino's Mexican Restaurant (see ad below) in 1977.

1981, 1995 - South Gate Plaza

A listing of South Gate Plaza stores and businesses going back over 40 years to May 1981!  Below that is a listing from March 1995. By that time, the plaza had become an enclosed mall and bared little resemblance from 1981 as only Burdine's and Publix remained and Publix would move across the street by the end of the year. 

1982 - Taco Bell

The first Taco Bell in Sarasota opened at 7129 S. Tamiami Tr. in 1982. It would operate there until moving to a new building at Beneva Village Shoppes on Clark Rd. in about 1996. The original Taco Bell building was torn down to build Napulé Restaurant in 2017. 

1958, 1974 - tastee-freez

This small, but beloved ice cream stand stood at the NW corner of So. Tamiami Tr. and Kenilworth St. for about 25 years!

                     

1987 - Terry Shulman's
Terry Shulman's was a popular store with two locations in Sarasota that carried a little bit of everything!.

1983 - Trevino's Mexican Restaurant

Although there were hardly any other business establishments at the time other than 7-Eleven that were located nearby its spot on Honore Ave. to bring in traffic, Trevino's certainly rivaled El Adobe in popularity during the late 70's and a good part of the 80's and like El Adobe, any mention of it on a  Sarasota group page still gets many responses (all positive).

1977 - Tony Thayer's

The former 40-year restaurant in front of Sarasota Memorial had two long-time tenants in Dutch Pantry and Sugar And Spice and another tenant that was around a few years in T.R. Murphy's.  One of the other tenants there was Tony Thayer's Restaurant & Lounge in 1977, specializing in Italian Cuisine

                         

1995 - Trolley Station

As its name would suggest, Trolley Station was a popular train-themed restaurant located on Stickney Point Rd. from August 1980 until 1996.  The restaurant would then make a stop at 3550 Clark Rd. for a few years while Carrabba's Italian Grill took over the old Trolley Station location. While Trolley Station celebrated its 15th birthday there in 1995, Carrabba's celebrated 25 years at that location in 2022!

1991 - Walkabout Steak Station

It seemed like a great name for a steakhouse when it opened in 1991, but by 1992, this had become the popular Stockyard Steakhouse for about the next decade.

1993 - Woolworth 

The going-out-of-business sale at Woolworth stores just before Christmas in 1993 was kind of like saying goodbye to an old friend forever, although they left you part of their record collection.  It was an emotional time for many Sarasota residents as the two area stores had been a part of their shopping lives for over 38 and 36 years, respectively! 

1986 - Zinn's Restaurant

Any list of legendary restaurants in Sarasota would have to include Zinn's, which operated on N. Tamiami trail across from the airport for close to 50 years!

1976 - Zip'z Ice Cream 

In the mid-1970's, you could make your own sundae at Zip'z Ice Cream, located at 6285 So. Tamiami Trail just north of the Gulf Gate Mall (now Sarasota Pavilion) where Dunkin' Donuts is located today.