Moore’s Stone Crab, a staple on Longboat Key since 1967, has changed hands.
The landmark restaurant on the north end was owned by the Moore family since opening in 1967. Moore-Hicks Limited Partnership sold the restaurant, on the waterfront at 800 Broadway St. to Tom Leonard and Mark Caragiulo, owners of Shore Food Group.
The restaurant is expected to be closed 10 months for renovations and then reopen to employ 70-80 people.
Caragiulo and Leonard also own Shore Diner on St. Armands Circle in Sarasota while Caragiulo’s family owns Caragiulo’s Italian Restaurant in Sarasota. Caragiulo also is affiliated with Owen’s Fish Camp.
“They are all different,” Caragiulo said July 10 of his properties. “Shore is more of that mid-century Americana reference to diner culture, in more of a modern, crisp, kind of sexy way. So now we find ourselves with a new restaurant. It will be kind of a version of Shore that speaks more to the water and beach culture” with more raw bar items.
Caragiulo said he hopes the new restaurant, the name of which likely will include “Shore,” will be “the next incarnation of what a Shore Restaurant can be that hopefully we will continue doing.” He envisions future Shore restaurants in Clearwater, Orlando, Jacksonville, Dallas and Vancouver.
On Longboat Key, both Caragiulo and Leonard are excited for the opportunity “to give rebirth to the historic location, which will feature a modern American dining experience with a menu that attracts locals and tourist alike,” according to a news release.
The restaurant will include a Shore Brand boutique, to be filled with apparel, as currently featured in the flagship store on St. Armands.
The architecture will be mid-century Americana, the release states, incorporating natural woods, metals and large expanses of glass connecting to a patio equipped with retractable roofs, overlooking Sarasota Bay.
LoopNet, a commercial real estate website, describes the restaurant as a 6,035-square-foot structure with 185 seats for dining and “the prettiest view of Sarasota Bay on the island.” The business includes 30,100 square feet of property.
A voice mail for the Moores’ business line thanks “everyone for their loyalty and friendship for the past 48 years.”
“It’s going to be exciting to get out there on the water up in North Longboat and do a funky waterfront restaurant, and start a new 48-year legacy up there,” Caragiulo said.