Waterfront restaurant opening on Bradenton Riverwalk key to expansion east
When I first moved to downtown Bradenton nearly two decades ago, there was only a single waterfront restaurant.
Today, there are four outstanding waterfront restaurants and bars, with a fifth now being planned by one of Sarasota's most successful restaurant groups. In fact, the company will be making its second business venture into Manatee County with perhaps its largest investment to date at stake.
Credit the Bradenton Riverwalk, which is currently being expanded east from its original 1.5-mile stretch starting by Old Main Street in downtown Bradenton to nearly double that length. One of the keys to that growth will be the opening of the waterfront Daiquiri Deck, which will serve as a new anchor restaurant and bar to the east. Yes, these are exciting times for The Friendly City, which was still being referred to as "Bradentucky" when I relocated here in 2004.
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Back then, your only waterfront dining destination was Pier 22, which I'm happy to report is still a great spot, especially for their daily happy hour deals and the more recently launched weekend brunch specials. Occupying a structure dating back to 1928 and a business owned by the local Miller family since 1976, Pier 22 is the longest-running restaurant to place guests on the mile-wide Manatee River that flows into Tampa Bay.
And for many years, Pier 22 had no waterfront dining competition except for a place less than a mile to the east called The Bounty. A restaurant, boat-shaped bar and nightclub, The Bounty overlooked the Manatee River from the first-floor of the Holiday Inn Riverfront, which is now the Courtyard by Marriott. Alas, The Bounty closed before I arrived, so I never got to experience the thrills advertised in a hilarious 1987 television commercial posted to YouTube.
I left Bradenton from 2007 to 2009 but returned in time to witness serious buzz around the Riverwalk, which I fondly recall touring in a golf cart shortly before it debuted in October 2012. But just the announcement of its opening proved to be a boon for business.
YachtSea Grille, overlooking the Manatee River where the beach volleyball courts and skate park would soon open as part of the Riverwalk, opened in May 2011.
“It’s an exciting time for the riverfront, and everybody keeps saying to us, ‘There is nothing like this around here,’” owner and Kansas restaurateur Kurt Petty told this publication. “We’re pulling people from the hospital, the office building and all over this area, because there just aren’t options yet. This is only the beginning.”
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YachtSea Grille would be replaced in 2016 by Mattison's Riverwalk Grille. While I missed YachtSea, this marked a most-welcome return to Bradenton by acclaimed Sarasota chef and restaurateur Paul Mattison, who had a co-branding agreement with the Miller family to operate a Mattison's at the Pier 22 location from about 2006 to 2011.
If memory serves, Fourth of July weekend of 2011 is when I visited a wild opening at Tarpon Pointe Grill & Tiki Bar on the peninsula by Tarpon Pointe Marina. The restaurant and bar would be replaced in 2017 by the equally enjoyable Caddy's, with both establishments serving as the eastern anchor of Bradenton Riverwalk during the past decade. A role, though, which will soon be changing.
Plans to expand Riverwalk to the east came out in early 2018 but then everybody's focus soon returned to the west end of Riverwalk and the opening of the SpringHill Suites hotel. It was followed later in 2019 by the new Oak & Stone with its rooftop bar The Deck, which we recently included in our USA Today Network story on best rooftop bars in Florida.
Also in April, Jesse Mendoza wrote a story smartly detailing the Bradenton Riverwalk extension and then a few days ago, Laura Finaldi, expertly explained how the Bradenton Riverwalk expansion is "bringing new business activity." She points out that one of the new developments is a new Daiquiri Deck to be built east of the Tarpon Pointe Marina.
On Wednesday evening, I took a stroll along the Riverwalk to see where the new Daiquiri Deck would be opening but instead ended up spending some quality time at Caddy's. On Thursday morning, I made it past Caddy's to 1008 and 1020 Riverside Drive East. They're a couple of prime lots overlooking a handsome expanse of the Manatee River, next to the Preserve at Riverwalk. In the next year or so, those waterfront lots should be home to a Daiquiri Deck, along with perhaps some more apartments, shops and restaurants.
I learned this on Thursday after talking to Troy Syprett, an owner of Daiquiri Deck, one of the most famous restaurant and bar brands in the region. The first Daiquiri Deck opened in 1993 on Ocean Boulevard in the heart of Siesta Key Village followed by one right on St. Armands Circle in 2011 and then Historic Downtown Venice in 2013, with a south Siesta Key location opening in 2016. Yeah, chances are that you are familiar with the local restaurant chain known for their raw bar, pub fare and full-liquor bar starring their namesake frozen drinks.
In March 2020, right before the pandemic shuttered Florida businesses, Syprett's group opened their first Daiquiri Deck in Manatee County. Located on Anna Maria Island, it's on bustling Bridge Street in the city of Bradenton Beach, with rooftop views of both the Gulf of Mexico and the Intracoastal Waterway. Its success paved the way for the opening on Riverwalk.
"Number one, it fits into how we want to grow the company location-wise," Syprett said Thursday when asked about opening a Daiquiri Deck on Riverwalk and purchasing multiple properties along Riverside Drive East. "Bradenton is very business friendly and it's important that we own our properties, especially on the water. And then there's the walking traffic, the great views and the laid-back vibe of the area that really fits our concept of 'food, drinks and friends.'"
Yes, the success of the Riverwalk expansion east will likely be tied to the popularity of the new Daiquiri Deck as other entrepreneurs eye that area around Riverside Drive East.
Meanwhile, back west on the original portion of Riverwalk, I'm still waiting for something fun to replace The Bounty. I've heard some exciting rumors but have yet to be able to confirm anything. All I know is that space, which is adjacent to the Marriott's pool and conveniently has an entrance to a white-sand beach portion of the Riverwalk, has sat empty for far too long.
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Cheers,
Wade Tatangelo
Wade Tatangelo is the Herald-Tribune’s dining and entertainment editor overseeing the weekly Ticket publication. He's also co-leader of USA Today Network's Uniquely Florida team creating statewide content. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. He may be reached by email at wade.tatangelo@heraldtribune.com. Support local journalism by subscribing.
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Ticket Editor Daiquiri Deck opening Bradenton Riverwalk key to success
