Sarasota will soon add fiery Filipino flavors to its growing culinary scene with the opening of another downtown restaurant.
Tastes of the Philippines, preparing to open at 1987 Ringling Blvd., will serve authentic Filipino food in a fast-casual setting. The restaurant will feature natural décor reflecting the culture of the Philippines and welcome customers with the traditional greeting “mabuhay.”
Its dishes will be prepared from-scratch and “fired over an open flame,” bringing what the restaurant describes as the bold, bright flavors of the Philippines to downtown Sarasota.
The restaurant will operate in a “build-your-box” format, a more modern take on traditional Filipino street food in a fast-casual setting. The twist aims to reflect cuisine
“rooted in tradition, plated for today.” Guests will be given the choice to select from various flavorful proteins to serve as the base for a box with garlic fried rice, lumpia and turon.
Patrick Takano, owner of Tastes of the Philippines, told the Herald-Tribune that the new restaurant will have a comparable service style to that of Fresh Kitchen or Cava, where the food is prepared in front of the customer as they wait in line. However, his concept is a "from scratch kitchen" with a small-business touch, and is bringing flavors that aren't as commonly found in Sarasota, he said.
"No one is doing what we will be with Filipino cuisine," Takano said. "We're bringing authentic culture and Filipino cuisine to Sarasota, in a high-heat, fast-cooking environment."
Tastes of the Philippines will also serve beer and wine.
Takano said the build-out is complete and that he "expects to be open soon after that." While he did not share an exact opening date to ensure staffing capacity and plan an official grand opening, he said that the restaurant would likely be open as soon as next week.
The space will have indoor seating and 90% of the staff he has brought on are Filipino, in an effort to keep flavors authentic and "introduce the community to our culture," Takano said. He added that the build-out cost was approximately $200,000 since they took over a second-generation restaurant, which have helped keep start-up costs down.
Tastes of the Philippines will be located in the Courthouse Centre building in downtown Sarasota on upper Main Street. The specific space, on the complex’s first floor, is 2,450 square feet and was most recently occupied by Vietaly. It has experienced substantial restaurant turnover the past few years, also housing Pho-Licious (which still had signage out front as recently as Sept. 4), India Cafe and Baby Paul’s BBQ in the past decade.
The Courthouse Centre building is owned by Mindy E. Kauffman, founder of Red Property Real Estate. Kauffman is also involved with reopening the Shore restaurant on St. Armands Circle.
Takano is spearheading Tastes of the Philippines with his two longtime business partners, Conor Doherty and Conor McHugh. "It wouldn't be possible without them," he said. As for what is next for the, Takano said that he hopes to franchise the idea, expanding across Florida and the United States, potentially starting with Bradenton.
"It's been great seeing all the excitement and conversation surrounding our opening. We're getting very close and can't wait to share what we're bringing to downtown Sarasota," Takano wrote on social media. “The bold, soulful flavors of the Philippines deserve a place at the heart of the neighborhood.”
Sarasota’s growing restaurant industry
In addition to Tastes of the Philippines, several new restaurants have recently opened or are expanding to Sarasota, including the soon-to-be-opened Brooklyn-based pizza chain Grimaldi’s Pizza, popular Nashville-based restaurant BrickTop’s, Shebeen Irish Pub & Kitchen and more. This is in addition to recent openings like Red Chillez Indian Fusion Food Truck and Five Nine Grill & Tavern.
The North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota area contributed roughly $6.91 billion to the economy through its restaurant industry in 2025, as well as $966.27 million in taxes. In a report from the National Restaurant Association, the foodservice industry directly employed 41,453 people in 2025.
Kendal Asbury is the real estate and development reporter for the Sarasota Herald-Tribune. Have an idea, tip or question about development? Send her an email at kasbury@usatodayco.com. Connect with her on LinkedIn or follow her on Instagram @wordsbykendal, and support local journalism by subscribing to the Herald-Tribune.
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: New downtown Sarasota restaurant could open as soon as next week
