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Chiles Hospitality selling Sandbar, Beach House, Mar Vista

Written by Joe Hendricks on . Posted in Business, Featured, Restaurants | Bars.

ANNA MARIA ISLAND – Ed Chiles, the owner of Chiles Hospitality, is selling the Sandbar Seafood & Spirits restaurant in Anna Maria, the Beach House Waterfront Restaurant in Bradenton Beach and the Mar Vista Dockside Restaurant & Pub in Longboat Key to the Pinellas County-based Beachside Hospitality group.

Beachside Hospitality is also buying the Anna Maria Bake House and Chiles Hospitality’s events department. No sales price was disclosed.

Beachside Hospitality owns and operates Crabby’s Bar & Grill, Crabby’s Hideaway, Crabby’s On The Pass, Crabby’s Dockside, The Salty Crab Bar & Grill and Salty’s Island Bar & Grille in Pinellas County. The group also owns and operates similarly-themed restaurants in Daytona Beach, New Smyrna Beach, St. Cloud, St. Augustine, Fort Pierce and Fort Myers Beach.

Chiles Hospitality announced the pending sale in a July 17 press release. The sale is scheduled to close on July 29, with Colliers International representing Chiles Hospitality in the sale.

“This has been a difficult decision, but I know it’s time for me to move on. I am passing the torch to new owners who understand the value of our employees and who will carry on the legacy that our team has built together,” Chiles said in the press release. “I leave knowing that the work our team has done together is one of the greatest experiences of my life and we have made a measurable and positive impact in our community.”

Chiles founded Chiles Hospitality in 1979 when he, his father – former Florida Gov. Lawton Chiles – and two partners bought the Sandbar restaurant in Anna Maria. Chiles Hospitality acquired and later renovated the Mar Vista Dockside Restaurant in Longboat Key in 1989 and the Beach House Waterfront Restaurant in Bradenton Beach in 1993. Chiles Hospitality established the Anna Maria Bake House scratch-artisan bakery within the Beach House in 2018.

The Sandbar Restaurant in Anna Maria. – Cindy Lane | Sun

The press release notes the majority of Chiles Hospitality’s 350 restaurant employees have been asked to continue in their current roles.

The Beach House Waterfront Restaurant in Bradenton Beach. – Cindy Lane | Sun

Chiles Hospitality itself is not being sold and the press release notes Chiles Hospitality will continue to operate the 26-acre Gamble Creek Farms organic farming operations in Parrish.

Beachside Hospitality’s plans

This map shows where the Beachside Hospitality Group’s restaurants are located. – Beachside Hospitality Group | Submitted

The press release notes that Beachside Hospitality has over 20 years of experience in the restaurant business and currently oversees 13 restaurants in eight Florida cities. This is the group’s first business venture in Manatee County.

Julia Cassino serves as the Beachside Hospitality’s director of marketing and events. When contacted by The Sun today, she said Beachside Hospitality has not yet issued a press release or an official statement regarding the pending purchase and plans to do so after the sale is finalized on July 29.

“We are excited about this amazing new venture and coming into Manatee County, Anna Maria Island and Longboat Key,” she said.

“We do not have any current plans to change anything regarding the names or the styles of the restaurants. They are each established entities and each have their own feel. We have no plans to change that. Ed has done a fantastic job building these businesses into what they are today and we have no plans to change any of that. We want to continue the legacy he’s created,” Cassino said.

“We’re keeping the staffs and we have two long-tenured members of our team who are currently overseeing locations in Pinellas and Volusia counties who are moving to the area to oversee the transition,” she added.

“We’re looking forward to seeing what we can continue on with Ed’s brand and how we can possibly elevate it into something even better. We do not plan to make any drastic changes. The guests will not notice the changes and it should be a smooth transition,” Cassino said.

Chiles speaks

Ed Chiles has spent 45 years operating waterfront restaurants on Anna Maria Island and Longboat Key. – Chiles Hospitality | Submitted

Chiles was 25 when he, his dad and two partners bought the Sandbar. Forty-five years later, he’s moving on.

During a phone interview with The Sun today, Chiles addressed his decision to sell and his future plans.

“Forty-five years of being in this business feels about right. I started thinking about this seriously about a year and a half ago and I came to the realization that I shouldn’t try for 50. I have my health. I’m really proud of what we’ve done. I’ve got a new grandson who’s 2 1/2 years old that I want to spend more time with. It’s just time,” Chiles said.

“I know it’s the right thing to do. I will miss it terribly. I will miss the people, the staff, our teams and I will miss the guests and the generations of families we’ve served and formed friendships with. I’ll miss being there on the beach ‘conducting the orchestra,’ getting in the chef’s way, working with the food and developing recipes. There’s so many different aspects of this,” Chiles said.

“The Post-COVID era has made a tough business even tougher, but during the last six months our company has never run better, our leadership teams have never been stronger, our numbers have never been better and it feels great to go out on top.

“I’d love to be around to open the retail operation at the Sandbar, where we’re tripling the size, and the take-out section and the renovation we’re doing on the southside is going to be so exciting with the empanadas, the menu, and the drinks we’ll serve there, but it’s time. I love the idea of going out on top. It feels right, even though there’s a whole lot of emotions,” he said.

“I’m really going to miss the people, but a door shuts and another one opens. I want my last lap to be about building soil. I want to be working at the farm. I want to be working on the environment, coastal resiliency, the bivalves (oysters and clams), seagrass and promoting sustainable seafood and I’ve got some new things I’m taking on in those regards.

“I don’t want to fret about the next hurricane, red tide or pandemic or election. It’ll be nice to have that weight off my shoulders. I don’t know what that will feel like because I’ve been so used to it. My step will be a little lighter. We’re on the edge of the world where we are and that comes with things that can bite you. I won’t have to worry about that anymore,” Chiles said.

Varied plans

Chiles remains involved with multiple cannabis businesses in Tennessee and with a group opening a restaurant in Nashville this week. He remains a partner in the Poppo’s Taqueria businesses originally founded in Anna Maria, he’s a partner in a mushroom business and he’s exploring other sustainability-related business endeavors.

Chiles Hospitality will still own and operate the paid parking lot along Gulf Drive in Anna Maria. Chiles will continue to own and lease out the old post office plaza on Gulf Drive and he also has two commercial properties on Pine Avenue.

“There’s 17 properties that I’ll still own, not including the farm. There’s plenty of stuff to still look after,” he said. They’re not buying Chiles Hospitality. They’re buying the assets, the restaurants and the land. Chiles Hospitality will keep going with the farm and the other things we work on.”

Longtime Chiles Hospitality group CEO Chuck Wolfe will continue serving in that role.

“Chuck’s my CEO and he will stay with me. Chuck’s the guy that navigated all this (the sale). The new owners are taking virtually everybody else and I’m delighted. I think our folks can learn some things from the new owners and I hope they can learn some things from our team about our culture, our work with sustainable seafood and our work in the community. I’m optimistic about that.”

Chiles and his wife, Tina, will remain Anna Maria residents.

“I don’t have any plans to leave Anna Maria Island. I love it here. I don’t remember ever not being in Anna Maria. I was here in utero. We came here every summer from Lakeland. I’ll spend parts of the summer in Montana, in August and September when it’s not fit to be in Florida. I’ll be hip-deep in a trout stream. I’ll be traveling, spending more time with my grandson and ‘Ms. Tina’ and pursuing the sustainable initiatives with bivalves, seagrass and with the farm, building soil,” Chiles said.

In closing, Chiles said, “I’m a lucky guy who got out of school with a political science degree and had to find a way to make a living. My dad approached me about putting a group together to buy a restaurant in Anna Maria, where we had always spent our summers.

“Before buying the Sandbar, I spent a season working in the kitchen at the legendary Joe’s Stone Crab restaurant in Miami Beach in 1978. A month later, we bought the Sandbar. I worked under a manager for six months and then I took over. Since then, I’ve been in paradise doing what I love: serving people.”

Ferry service to Longboat Key discussed

Ferry service to Longboat Key discussed

Written by Joe Hendricks on . Posted in Business, Featured, Tourism.

LONGBOAT KEY – Gulf Islands Ferry service may one day be expanded to the north end of Long­boat Key, but that isn’t expected to happen in the immediate future.

Future ferry service was one of the topics discussed during the joint meeting that Manatee County and Longboat Key officials participated in on April 30 at the county admin­istration building in downtown Bradenton.

Bradenton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau Executive Director Elliott Falcione said the county and the Town of Longboat Key have and will continue to discuss if, when and how the county’s Gulf Islands Ferry service might one day be expanded to Longboat Key.

Town Manager Howard Tipton said there have been preliminary discussions about using the town dock near the Mar Vista restaurant, which is also within walking distance of the Shore restaurant. Tipton plans to survey potentially impacted Longboat Key residents to gauge how they feel about a ferry stop there.

Ferry service to Longboat Key discussed
The canal behind the Whitney Plaza in Longboat Key is probably too shallow to accommodate the ferries. – Joe Hendricks | Sun

Falcione said the canal behind the Whitney Plaza along Gulf of Mexico Drive at the north end of the key is too shallow to accommodate the ferries and he doesn’t envision the ferries traveling to the residential and resort areas further south.

“We’re talking. We’re not there yet,” Falcione said, noting that county resort tax revenues would fund any dock improvements needed in Long­boat Key.

FERRY INSIGHTS

Falcione also shared some general insights on the county-contracted ferry service that began in January and currently features stops at the Riverwalk Day Dock in downtown Bradenton, the Anna Maria City Pier and the Bradenton Beach Pier.

Initially operating on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, the service was later expanded to include Thursday and Wednesday service. Falcione said the five-day service will continue through the month of May. Service days may be reduced during the summer months.

Falcione said county staff is working on extending ferry service to the Coquina South boat ramp by the end of the year to accommodate Manatee County residents who want to travel to Coquina Beach.

Ferry service to Longboat Key discussed
The county hopes to have a ferry stop at the South Coquina boat ramp in Bradenton Beach by year’s end. – Joe Hendricks | Sun

Falcione said the two 49-passenger pontoon boat ferries transport 300-350 passengers per day, weather permitting, reducing the number of automobiles traveling to the Island.

“Since we started, we’ve served about 9,000 passengers. The chal­lenge that we face is we’ve lost 25 days due to the weather,” Falcione said.

Falcione said the county and the contracted ferry operator are research­ing the construction of a high speed, partially-enclosed 90-passenger ferry that would help minimize the service days suspended due to rain, wind, waves and other factors.

The larger, faster ferry would travel the Manatee River between downtown Bradenton and the Anna Maria City Pier and the two pontoon boats would then service Anna Maria Island – and potentially Longboat Key. Falcione preliminary discussions have occurred with the city of Bradenton Beach about docking the pontoon boats there overnight in that future scenario.

Ferry service to Longboat Key discussed
The Bradenton Beach Pier currently serves as one of Anna Maria Island’s two ferry stops. – Joe Hendricks | Sun

Falcione said it would take about a year to build the larger ferry and grants are being sought to help fund it.

Falcione also expects the ferry service to eventually be expanded to the convention center in Palmetto and the new 252-room Palmetto Marriott Resort & Spa next to the convention center.

Falcione acknowledged the ferries are not yet a primary source of trans­portation for the Anna Maria Island workforce that commutes from the mainland – due in part to the uncer­tainty posed by suspended service days. He said a partially enclosed high-speed ferry might help.

“The St. Regis is going to employ a lot of folks,” County Commissioner Mike Rahm said of the new resort opening in Longboat Key at the former Colony Beach Resort location later this year.

Longboat Key Commissioner Debra Williams said Longboat Key busi­nesses struggle to attract and retain employees because of the transporta­tion challenges and lengthy travel times. She said workforce transporta­tion should be the top priority and ferrying folks to restaurants should be a secondary goal.

Ferry tickets can be purchased at www.gulfcoastwatertaxi.com.

Cleaning up the Sister Keys

Reel Time: Cleaning up the Sister Keys

Written by Rusty Chinnis on . Posted in Outdoors, Reel Time.

Suncoast Waterkeeper teamed up with Sarasota Bay Watch last weekend when they conducted their 2023 Annual Sister Keys Cleanup. The event was a collaboration of the two non-profit organizations, the Town of Longboat Key and Mar Vista Dockside Restaurant. Close to 50 volunteers worked for four hours on the island and around the mangrove fringes collecting trash and recyclable items. This year’s harvest was especially large, fueled by the storm surge that hit the area during Hurricane Idalia. One of the most unusual items in the cleanup’s 15-year history was uncovered during the event, an 18-foot wooden “sharpie” sailing craft. John Hoover made another impressive find when he uncovered a blown glass sphere. In all, volunteers collected over 1,000 pounds of trash from the islands.

The Sister Keys were originally slated for development in the early 60s as the Shangri Isle Club and were once again threatened in 1989 when they went up for sale at $1 million. That spurred a group of citizens to form the Sister Keys Conservancy to buy and preserve the islands as a nature preserve. The Town of Longboat Key purchased the islands in 1994 with a stipulation that the keys would never be developed.

The islands underwent a million-dollar mitigation in 2007 that removed all invasive species, planted native flora and created a 2-acre wetland. Today, mature mangroves dominate the waterways and are rich with crustaceans, minnows, juvenile finfish and wading birds. Native species planted on uplands, first created from the dredging of the Intracoastal Waterway in the late 1800s, have matured, making the islands one of the best examples of a thriving native marine environment in coastal Florida.

The cleanup is part of a continuing two-pronged effort to clear the islands of trash and prevent the resurgence of invasive species.

Kayakers and those without a boat were ferried to the island by volunteer boaters Benny Parrish, Mark McBride and Tim Thurman.

Back at the Longboat Key Boat Ramp, event volunteers loaded the debris to be retrieved by the town’s public works employees. All plastics and cans were collected in separate green bags provided by SBW and recycled. The volunteers were treated to a box lunch and beverages provided by the Mar Vista Dockside Restaurant and the Chiles Group, who have been supporters of the event from the beginning.

The Sister Keys Clean Up is just one of many projects that SBW is involved in. In 2021, SBW planted clams in the bay in an ongoing restoration effort. Other cleanups are conducted at various locations throughout the bay, including an annual monofilament cleanup and more.

Suncoast Waterkeeper is a Sarasota-based advocacy non-profit committed to protecting and restoring Florida Suncoast’s waterways through enforcement, fieldwork, advocacy and environmental education for the benefit of the communities that rely upon these precious coastal resources. Their efforts have been responsible for major initiatives to hold municipalities responsible for mandates established in the landmark 1982 Clean Water Act. SCWK also conducts bi-monthly water testing of inland coastal waters. For more information on the groups’ missions and to become a member, visit their websites, www.sarasotabaywatch.org and www.suncoastwaterkeeper.org.

Sister Keys clean-up set for Nov. 4

Reel Time: Sister Keys clean-up set for Nov. 4

Written by Rusty Chinnis on . Posted in Outdoors, Reel Time.

Sarasota Bay Watch (SBW) is conducting its annual Sister Keys clean-up on Saturday, Nov. 4. The event is a collaboration with Suncoast Waterkeeper, the Town of Longboat Key and Mar Vista Dockside Restaurant. Volunteers will work for four hours on the island and around the mangrove fringes collecting trash and recyclable items. After the event, volunteers will load the collected debris into a truck provided by the Town of Longboat Key Public Works for disposal. All plastics and cans will be collected in separate green bags provided by SBW and recycled. The volunteers will then be treated to a box lunch courtesy of the Mar Vista Dockside Restaurant, a longtime supporter of the event.

The Sister Keys were originally slated for development in the early 60s as the Shangri Isle Club and were once again threatened in 1989 when they went on sale for $1 million. That spurred a group of citizens to form the Sister Keys Conservancy in an attempt to buy and preserve the islands as a nature preserve. Longboat Key purchased the islands in 1994 with a stipulation that the keys would never be developed.

The islands underwent a million-dollar mitigation in 2007 to remove all invasive species. Native flora was planted and a two-acre wetland was created. Today mature mangroves dominate the waterways, which are rich with crustaceans, minnows, juvenile finfish and wading birds. Native species planted on uplands created from the dredging of the Intracoastal Waterway in the late 1800s have matured, making the islands one of the best examples of a thriving native marine environment in coastal Florida. The clean-up is part of a two-pronged ongoing effort to clean the islands of trash and support the resurgence of invasive species. The Longboat Key Marine division will be patrolling the Intracoastal Waterway to slow boaters. Kayakers and those without a boat will be ferried to the islands by volunteers.

The Sister Keys clean-up is just one of many projects that SBW is involved in. In recent years, SBW has planted over 1,000,000 clams in the bay and recently obtained a restoration lease in Sarasota Bay, a first of its kind, in its ongoing restoration effort. Other clean-ups (including underwater) are conducted at various locations throughout the bay, as well as an annual monofilament cleanup and much more.

Suncoast Waterkeeper (SCWK) is a Sarasota-based non-profit committed to protecting and restoring the Florida Suncoast’s waterways through enforcement, fieldwork, advocacy and environmental education for the benefit of the communities that rely upon these precious coastal resources. Their efforts have been responsible for major initiatives that hold municipalities responsible for mandates established in the landmark 1982 Clean Water Act. SCWK also conducts bi-monthly water testing of inland coastal waters. To learn more about the work of these organizations and join the effort, check out their websites at www.suncoastwaterkeeper.org and www.sarasotabaywatch.org.

The event is limited to the first 40 registrants, so reserve your spot today.

Getting coconutty on AMI

Getting coconutty on AMI

Written by SUN contributor on . Posted in Business.

ANNA MARIA ISLAND – Very few things bring to mind the feeling of lazing on a white sand beach enjoying the ocean breeze like drinking from a freshly cracked coconut. The couple behind AMI Coconuts is committed to bringing that piece of paradise to Manatee County.

When Robert and Jennifer McGraw relocated from Ohio to Anna Maria Island in August 2021, it was to bring their children to a place where they could ride out the COVID-19 pandemic in a warmer climate. After making their home near the beaches of Anna Maria Island, the couple became involved in the community and decided to launch a new business.

“We didn’t really expect the community that’s here,” Jennifer McGraw said. “They’ve all supported us and our new business. It’s been incredible.”

Getting coconutty on AMI
Robert and Jennifer McGraw are the husband-and-wife team behind AMI Coconuts, a new boutique business bringing fresh coconuts to Southwest Florida. – Submitted | AMI Coconuts

While holding a coconut one day while talking to a friend, Robert McGraw said he came up with the idea to bring fresh coconuts to the Island. Only a few months later, AMI Coconuts now imports fresh coconuts from Costa Rica and serves them at private events and several local restaurants.

“They’re the freshest coconuts you can find,” Jennifer McGraw said, with her husband adding that rather than several weeks old, like many of the coconuts imported from Thailand, the coconuts they bring to the Island are only five days old.

The coconuts brought in by the couple are served locally at Mar Vista, The BeachHouse, The Sandbar, the Moose Lodge in Bradenton Beach, the Kokonut Hut at the Gulf Drive Café and aboard the Island Princess. While some of the coconuts and the coconut water inside them are used to make mixed drinks, others are used as drink containers and all the coconuts are custom branded with each location’s logo, making them a fun souvenir to take home.

In addition to their work with local restaurants, the McGraws also host their own coconut cocktail parties, serve coconuts at special events and provide coconuts for weddings and other private events. For anyone wanting something special for their event, the couple will create a custom brand to mark the coconuts, given about two weeks’ notice. For orders without a custom brand, the McGraws can make local same-day deliveries.

For more information about AMI Coconuts or to arrange for an order or special event, visit the McGraws online at www.AMICoconuts.com.

Reel Time Sister Keys Cleanup

Reel Time: Sister Keys cleanup scheduled

Written by Rusty Chinnis on . Posted in Fishing, Outdoors, Reel Time.

Sarasota Bay Watch (SBW) will be conducting their Annual Sister Keys Cleanup on Saturday, May 4. The event is a collaboration with the Town of Longboat Key and the Mar Vista Dockside Restaurant. Volunteers organized by SBW Events Coordinator Ronda Ryan will work for four hours on the island and around the mangrove fringes collecting trash and recyclable items.

The Sister Keys were originally slated for development in the early 60s and were once again threatened in 1989 when they went on sale for $1 million.

That spurred a group of citizens to form the Sister Keys Conservancy in an attempt to buy and preserve the islands as a nature preserve. After three years of lobbying, bake sales and two music in the park series the group had only raised $50,000 towards the $1 million sale price. They then went to the Town of Longboat Key, which needed additional open space for its comprehensive plan. The Town consummated the sale in 1994 assuring the keys would not be developed.

The islands underwent a million-dollar mitigation in 2007 that removed all invasive species, planted native flora and created a two-acre wetland. In the last decade, six-foot-high mangroves have grown from seeds recruited naturally from the waterways. The rest of the uplands have matured, making the islands one of the best examples of a thriving native marine environment in coastal Florida.

The Longboat Key Police Department marine division will be patrolling the Intracoastal Waterway to slow boaters. Kayakers and those without a boat will be ferried to the island by volunteers with boats and by SBW board members. Reef Innovations Inc. will once again help the effort with a barge where volunteers can offload their trash. The Town Public Works Department will pick up bags deposited along the mangrove shoreline by volunteers.

Once back at the Town boat ramp volunteers and Town Public Works volunteers will load the debris into a truck provided by the Town of Longboat Key. Public Works employees recently did an invasive cleanup and cleared and marked trails for those participating in the cleanup. Volunteers in the past have found a wide range of debris including bed frames, boat cushions, umbrellas, life vests, a boat hull, a tackle box, crab pots, fishing poles and buoys. Most of the debris enters the mangroves on high tides and is trapped there. All plastics and cans will be collected in separate green bags provided by SBW and recycled.

At 11:30 a.m. all volunteers will return to Mar Vista where they will be treated to a complimentary lunch of hamburgers, chicken sandwiches, Caesar salad and all the trimmings. This cleanup will mark the beginning of the second decade for this event. The Sister Keys Clean Up is just one of many projects that SBW is involved in. In 2018 SBW planted over 250,000 clams into the bay and is currently raising close to 750,000 clams for a future restoration. Other cleanups are conducted at various locations around the bay and include underwater events as well. In the fall the annual monofilament cleanup will take place at bird rookeries (nesting areas) bay wide. Participants in this year’s cleanup should register online. Here you’ll have all the information on the event as well as others throughout the year.

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