The Blue Rooster is more than a blues bar with some food—it's a refined version of Americana. The southern comfort food restaurant opened Jan. 5 and is continuing to make tweaks and improvements to its menu of food and music along the way to put down roots north of Fruitville Road at 1525 Fourth St. Co-owner Bill Cornelius handles the music, and thank goodness he didn't follow through on opening up an ice cream shop because it might not have led to the Blue Rooster.  "I always wanted to open a blues bar, but my wife wouldn't let me open one unless I had a partner," Cornelius said. So with the…

Follow the steps down from the Palm Avenue Parking Garage from your car, and you will step right into Louies Modern. To the left, is the Louies Modern Barista Bar, which will open at 7 a.m, Monday, April 8, and in front of you is the outdoor seating and couches serving Louies Modern, creating a chic casual environment without the upscale prices. Keep walking and you'll run into Louies' relative, The Francis—a special event space that also features a private dining room. It's the way that the Seidenstickers designed the space, working with an empty slate of retail space on the ground floor of …

Health and wellness stores are plentiful in Sarasota, and there is always room for another. Omaha, Nebraska-based Complete Nutrition announced that it is scouting locations for a third store in the Sarasota/Bradenton market within the next year. Complete Nutrition markets itself as an upscale health and wellness store with consultants helping customers figure out what supplements, nutrition programs and food they should try to target weight loss or strength and endurance training. "There appears just from our initial results from our first two stores an active lifestyle in Sarasota and health…

On your walk down Main Street, now you can get fresh ice cream and milkshakes now that ScoopDaddy's has expanded. ScoopDaddy's recently opened at 1359 Main St. in downtown Sarasota, and is known for its '50s style ice cream shop with plenty of memorabilia scattered around the store. You'll find old fashioned milkshakes, ice cream floats, banana splits and more. The store opened in December 2012. This marks the third location for ScoopDaddy's—the original at 19C N. Blvd. Of The Presidents in St. Armands and 8203 Tourist Center Drive in University Park.  The hours for the Main Street location …

A new health and wellness store, ReVive – Your Mind Body Spirit Store, is now open inside the Westfield Sarasota Square Mall. The store specializes in high quality products for the mind, body and spirit. Owner Julie Clarke’s motive for opening ReVive is simple: “I want to help the local community feel better.” To intrigue the mind, Clarke offers products like puzzles, books and games. To nourish the body: organic teas, lotions and massage equipment. To revive the spirit: inspirational artwork, books and jewelry. Essential oils, soy and shea butter candles, gourmet foods and fudge and a Dr. …

A popular Florida women's clothing store hopes to offer shoppers designs they can't find elsewhere on Main Street. Evelyn & Arthur held its grand opening Friday at 1480 Main St., with its owners Adrianne and Fred Weissman. Evelyn & Arthur started on Palm Beach in 1984 when Evelyn and Arthur Lewis retired and Evelyn wanted to open up a clothing shop when her New York wardrobe didn't mesh in the Sunshine State and she couldn't find the right cut for her. That started a private label Evelyn & Arthur clothing line that still fills the stores today, including the one on Main Street.  Evelyn's …

A new shop in Sarasota using liquid nitrogen promises ice cream in a flash.  A team of six nurses from Manatee Memorial Hospital partnered to open the first SubZero Ice Cream & Yogurt franchise location east of the Mississippi River at the Expo Center on Clark Road.  Inside you won't find cases of ice cream, but instead a 1,000 liter tank of liquid nitrogen that pumps through a line to flash freeze a combination of creams and flavoring to make more than 37 trillion combinations of ice cream, yogurt, custard, milkshakes, smoothies and even pies (actually, Pi, thanks to their science and math …

One Sarasota entrepreneur hopes professional athletes can't resist his workout tool called the ExcelCord. "We want to create a core-strengthening product that's not only going to help you get better at your sport, but it's going to strengthen the muscles directly involved with what you do," ExcelCord inventor Matt Zoltak tells Patch. Zoltak, 24, says it's all in the heel. The former college and minor league pitcher created a special harness that stabilizes the foot and connects to a cord at the heel of the shoe providing resistance training and freedom of motion. He says it's to designed to …

Tex-Mex restaurant Tijuana Flats is now open with its fourth Sarasota area location at 5215 University Parkway Suite 106. This new location features Tijuana Flatsʼ, made-to-order menu and a 15-pump hot sauce bar. The 2,305-square-foot restaurant will accommodate indoor and patio seating for 106 guests, according to the Winter Park-based chain. And of course, there's the mural. The mural at this location portrays a sultry space girl defending the galaxy from an alien invasion. In addition, the restaurant incorporates energy efficient equipment. They include: Light Emitting Diode (LED) lamps …

If you want to eat here in Sarasota, you'll have another option come January when Eat Here opens a new restaurant on Siesta Key. Sean Murphy, owner of the award-winning Beach Bistro and Eat Here restaurants in Sarasota and in Holmes Beach, announced the opening Friday. The restaurant serves modern American fare. The restaurant will open at 240 Avenida Madera, and will serve dinner 5 to 10 p.m. nightly, 5 to 11 p.m. weekends. Eat Here is known for its culinary creations that includes local farm products; fresh, locally-caught seafood; charcuterie, inspired pizza and taco cuisine; fruit-infused…

It's a good time for bustin' a move at Cutting Loose salon on Main Street. The family-owned salon celebrated its grand opening Wednesday after opening up its newest salon at 1950 Main St. four months ago. Coral Cleese's salons are continuing its success and it's time for her daughter Taelor Scheuer to take the helm of her own salon. "We have a passion to do the ordinary things extraordinarily well," Scheuer said of Cutting Loose. Scheuer will be on the management side and is in love with the salon business thanks to her family, but found that she wasn't as handy with the shears, but that …

This Saturday, a new store is opening up by the airport that is unlike anything else in town. While there may be other retail establishments that offer home décor items and live plants, the owner of Plants and Treasures says his store will fulfill a specific need in the Sarasota/Manatee market. “The reaction of people here will be one of shock, because I will have the best florist-quality plants at the best prices,” Mike Bonk said. “I’m going to knock their socks off with the prices.” Plants and Treasures, 7942 N. Tamiami Trail, will hold its grand opening at 9 a.m Saturday. Regular hours are…

Sarasota Walmart Neighborhood Market Store Manager Jeff Douglas never forgets where he came from. The former football standout at Southeast High School in Bradenton was just 17 when he became a cart pusher at the Cortez Road Walmart on May 9, 1998.   "At 17, you just want some money in your pocket," Douglas said.  But who knew that he would one day rise through the ranks at Walmart and open his own store? "At Walmart, you can do anything," Douglas said Tuesday, smiling inside the new Neighborhood Market. Douglas will open the doors at 8 a.m. today following a ribbon cutting ceremony at 7:30 a…

When the ceremonial Lei is cut at 8 a.m. Friday, Trader Joe's will officially be open for business in Sarasota. The neighborhood grocery store's arrival to town has been well documented and wildly anticipated by Patch readers, who swear they will drive from Tampa and beyond for this Trader Joe's. "I am making the 1 1/2 hour drive to Traders Jones new Sarasota store this weekend!!" Patch reader Shelly McDermott Whitaker wrote, echoing similar sentiments from those living north of the Skyway. "Please keep coming North, we would love to have a Trader Joe's in Pinellas County!" The Sarasota …

The eye of an artist can be a critical one, and Vladislav Yeliseyev would like to provide to budding artists along with a soft touch. Yeliseyev maintains his Yeliseyev Art Studio inside his home at The Landings development in Sarasota where he does architectural illustrations for clients and also teaches drawing and other art classes as part of his Renaissance School of Art. "Learning how to draw is a process that never ends," he says. "It doesn't matter when you start — you never finish." He's offering classes starting Sept. 8 with openings for five students in an introductory drawing class…

Dropping in to Bonjour Café for a quick look-see turned into an hour long dawdling with friends, complete with croissants drizzled with chocolate, warm crispy baguettes with a selection of freshly made butter and jams, excellent coffee and intriguing conversation. We watched people come and go, listened to light-hearted laughter, heard a variety of languages, and got to know a very nice young couple in the process. Newcomers Thierry and Marie Zanon moved here from Provence, France, eight months ago after visiting Sarasota on holiday. They smile when they talk about falling in love with our …

From the aspiring Michelangelo to the amateur arts and crafts dabbler, Arts A Blaze Studio in downtown Lakewood Ranch is a haven for anyone with even an ounce of artistic flair. Arts A Blaze offers a wide range of artistic outlets, including pottery painting, clay building, mosaic tiling and glass fusing in a family-friendly environment where artists of all ages and skill levels have an opportunity to let their creative side flourish. “This is a place for everyone,” said Theresa Barion, who co-owns the studio with her husband, Dan. “From kids as young as two years old to teenagers, parents …

Whether it's a devastating hurricane that could wipe out Sarasota, or a zombie attack, Michael Crea has you covered. Crea is the owner of Survive Anything, the new store that carries everything from gas masks, knives, survival guides to camping essentials, Meals Ready To Eat and camoflauge clothing.  "It's good for people to be prepared for anything that might happen," Crea says. "Not necessarily that zombies are going to come out of the ground and start attacking you, but there are people that will act like zombies that will start attacking you." The company started online and Crea decided …

Meet the owner Jason Burdick and his business Phantom Tactical Training in five short videos above that explores five areas of his business. When Jason Burdick medically retired from the military, he was looking for more. He graduated from police academy, but he felt teaching was more his suit than being a law enforcement officer. Instead, he decided to take all the skills he acquired and mastered in the military and start his own tactical training firm. "In light of what I've seen with people who carry weapons and not really know how to use them, I decided I could better my community and …

Sarasota residents Lauire and Sean McCoy can thank their kid’s busy schedules for giving them the inspiration for a new food truck they hope to launch this season. The south Sarasota family is often on the go, shuttling their kids to sports games and practices, but when 9-year-old Blake had football practice seven nights a week, when were they going to feed him a good meal? Not all places have concession stands that sell more than a hot dog and if that, maybe a candy vending machine is nearby. “What did we do, we ran through fast-food drive-thru complaining the whole time that this is stupid…