The Greyson among newest restaurants planned for Bradenton-Sarasota area. What to know

James A. Jones Jr.
·4 min read

When owners Russell Matthes and Tom Halkidis opened The Greyson, a casual, family-friendly sports restaurant and bar at 5045 96th St. E., Palmetto, earlier this year, they said they were planning multiple locations.

True to their word, the partners have filed paperwork with Manatee County Development Services to open their second restaurant in Lakewood Ranch.

The Lakewood Ranch Greyson is planned for restaurant space at 11161 State Road 70 E., in the Lakewood Walk shopping center.

That space was home to Truman’s Tap & Grill for 11 years until August, when owners Carrie and Jason Leitzman announced they were closing to spend more time with family and to travel.

The Lakewood Ranch Greyson is planned for restaurant space at 11161 State Road 70 E., in the Lakewood Walk shopping center. Shown above is partner Russell Matthes.
The Lakewood Ranch Greyson is planned for restaurant space at 11161 State Road 70 E., in the Lakewood Walk shopping center. Shown above is partner Russell Matthes.

The Greyson partners say they don’t expect the former Truman’s location to be closed long.

“We are planning on making the new location very similar to the current successful location. The complete remodel will include redesign of the bar, kitchen and interior,” Mathes said in a text.

“We also plan on opening a wall up out to the patio and, like the current location, will be covering the patio and adding TVs. We are excited about expanding The Greyson brand and expect to open in the next two to four months,” he said.

he Lakewood Ranch Greyson is planned for restaurant space at 11161 State Road 70 E., in the Lakewood Walk shopping center.
he Lakewood Ranch Greyson is planned for restaurant space at 11161 State Road 70 E., in the Lakewood Walk shopping center.

The original Greyson has a Palmetto address but is well north of Palmetto at the southwest corner of Interstate 75, along fast-developing Moccasin Wallow Road.

The restaurant has about 20 large-screen TVs inside and on the patio, and serves beer, wine and cocktails, and a variety of salads and sandwiches. Greyson’s fried chicken sandwich is a fan favorite. There’s also a kids menu.

Lots of restaurant news

The Bradenton area has been seeing robust growth in new restaurants opening or planned.

This month, The Breakfast Company opened its second location at 8491 Cooper Creek Blvd., unit 107 in University Town Center.

10/27/2020_This month, The Breakfast Company opened its second location at 8491 Cooper Creek Blvd., unit 107 in University Town Center. Shown above are the mother-and-son team of Terri and Dimitri Syros
10/27/2020_This month, The Breakfast Company opened its second location at 8491 Cooper Creek Blvd., unit 107 in University Town Center. Shown above are the mother-and-son team of Terri and Dimitri Syros

The mother-and-son team of Terri and Dimitri Syros opened the original The Breakfast Company at 7246 55th Ave. E., in East Manatee’s Twelve Oaks Plaza in late 2020.

“This restaurant was opened as a tribute to my grandfather, George Soublis, who founded El Greco Cafe in downtown Sarasota in 1990,” Dimitri Syros said in 2020.

The restaurant is open 8 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Tuesday - Sunday and is closed on Monday. For more information, visit https://www.thebreakfastcompanyfl.com/.

Coming soon

Creekside Commons, 8980 US 301, Parrish, anchored by Lowes, Aldi and HomeGoods, has become a major retail player in Manatee County’s fast growing North River area since opening less than a year ago.

Among planned restaurants there are Ono Poke and Three Natives healthy food, according to paperwork filed with Manatee County Development Services.

The Ono Poke web page offers no information on a proposed opening date.

But the Three Natives web page suggests a spring opening for stores in Creekside Commons and Lockwood Commons, 4274 53rd Ave. E., Bradenton. Three Natives also has a store in Lakewood Ranch at 11577 State Road 70 E.

Other restaurants in the works

Here is a sampling of some of the planned restaurants previously reported in the Bradenton Herald:

▪ Taverna Toscana, an upscale Italian steakhouse and seafood restaurant from celebrity chef Fabio Viviani, is slated to open in early 2024 at 1301 Sixth Ave. W., Bradenton.

▪ Rich Knowles, a chef and owner of Innovative Dining, a catering business, is bringing back his EnRich Bistro, which closed early in the COVID-19 pandemic. The restaurant is under construction at 5239 Manatee Ave. W., Bradenton.

▪ Two Outback Steakhouses are on the drawing board for Manatee County. One is planned for Lakewood Ranch at 12245 State Road 70 E. and the other at 3390 Erie Road in Creekside Commons in Parrish. The planned eateries would be Manatee County’s third and fourth Outback Steakhouses.

▪ Toasted Yolk Cafe, a Texas-based daytime restaurant serving breakfast and lunch, is planned for Lakewood Ranch in the Center Point at Waterside development, 6516-6600 University Parkway. Bar Italia, a made from scratch Italian restaurant, is also under construction at Center Point.

▪ A McDonald’s fast-food restaurant with a dual drive-thru is planned for 2845 69th St. E., Palmetto, south of the Interstate 275-U.S. 41 intersection.