High-end restaurant and whiskey bar to open in downtown Sarasota

A high-end restaurant and whiskey bar concept has leased 11,500 square feet of space in Five Points in downtown Sarasota.

Damn Good Hospitality plans to open its third American whiskey kitchen that will be called Warren Sarasota at 1400 Main Street above Fit2Run.

While the property's second floor has not previously been leased as a restaurant, the site has a long food history.

The space where Fit2Run is located had previously been Patrick's Bar and Restaurant, which moved to a space at 1481 Main Street in 2011.

That corner of Five Points also once housed a food court in the 1980s, according to a commercial broker who negotiated the lease transaction.

The new restaurant will be on the building's second floor.

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The restaurant's owner — Damn Good Hospitality — already operates two other Warren locations located in Delray and Naples. The Naples location opened late last year, according to the Naples Daily News.

Kevin Robbins, of Harry E. Robbins & Associates, and Loyd Robbins, of Loyd Robbins & Co., facilitated the lease transaction.

Jeff John, chief executive at Damn Good Hospitality, was enthusiastic after signing the lease.

"Our decision to open in the heart of downtown Sarasota aligns perfectly with our vision of blending local culture with our distinctive offering," he said. "The area's small-town Midwest feel, combined with its vibrant downtown district, offers the ideal setting for our next chapter."

Damn Good Hospitality is headquartered on Florida's east coast but John described the company's founders as Chicago people with Midwestern roots that fit well along Florida's west coast, according to the Naples Daily News.

The company also operates other hospitality brands including Revolution Live, The Backyard, Stache Drinking Den, DG Events and Damn Good Sweets.

The company also boosts of having the an extensive whiskey library, "the largest in South Florida."

Kevin Robbins said that downtown Sarasota's continued growth was a main driver in seeing the large lease transaction cross the finish line. He said there are several other large restaurant deals in the works for spaces about as large.

"The fact that there are hospitality groups, like Damn Good Hospitality, leasing 10,000-plus-square-foot spaces in the downtown core is significant," Robbins said. "Larger hospitality groups used to be reserved for places like St. Armands and Siesta Key."

The property will open in late summer of 2025 as the space is renovated to accommodate the high-end concept.

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This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Upscale restaurant and whiskey bar to open in downtown Sarasota