A downtown Sarasota business open on Main Street for more than 25 years will not survive the summer.
Independent toy stores have faced mounting competition for decades, first from malls and big-box retailers and, more recently, e-commerce giants such as Amazon. Through it all, one mom-and-pop toy store remained a fixture on Main Street in downtown Sarasota.
That ends this month.
"With great sadness but also gratitude for the support over 27 years, we announce the pending closing of the Toy Lab," the shop posted to its Facebook page shortly before 5 a.m. Friday.
Toy Lab's last day of business will be Aug. 29.
Why longtime downtown Sarasota toy store is closing
Alas, this came as no surprise to me. I've been shopping at Toy Lab for more than a decade, including a purchase I made there Tuesday. The co-owner
declined to comment at the time, but we talked off the record.
It's a sad story for downtown Sarasota and local commerce in general.
If, like me, you have fond memories of shopping at Toy Lab, located at 1437 Main St. next door to the excellent Duval's seafood restaurant, stop by this month. The store is offering a 25% discount.
"Come say goodbye to a Sarasota staple and make one last happy memory!" reads the social media post.
Toy Lab co-owner Caleb Komis alerted loyal customers to the pending closure in an email July 31.
"After 27 years of happiness and joy on Main St, we are sadly announcing the closure of our toy store," Komis wrote.
"While our goal was always to provide children a whimsical space free from the cares of this world, reality has been looming behind the scenes. Business, Consumer, Economic and Political factors have finally combined to a point the store cannot survive."
My memories of shopping at Toy Lab in downtown Sarasota
I took a full-time job at the Sarasota Herald-Tribune, working out of its main office on Main Street, in 2013. I treasured my daily strolls up and down Main before the long drive home to West Bradenton.
One day, I stopped in Toy Lab and found the most amazing stuffed animal I had ever seen. I brought it home to my wife, Kristin, and her face lit up like I had just brought home a rescued puppy — which was not an option since we already had four beloved fur kids in the house.
The Toy Lab stops became more frequent.
The women who worked there were most helpful in directing me to the cutest new creature. There were soft and furry dogs and cats, as well as nearly life-sized animals such as a dolphin, sea turtle and an orangutan that endured more than one attack by our Frenchie Clarence — aka Crazy Clarence — who was convinced that particular stuffed animal was not only real but posed an imminent threat to the entire family, humans and canines alike.
Earlier this week, I brought Kristin home an adorable white spotted owl.
She loves it.
It reminds her of the real-life owls we see at Save Our Seabirds on City Island.
Yes, we've made and preserved many memories at Toy Lab, just like so many other Sarasotans.
Try to stop by this month. All local business closings are sad affairs, but this one hits a bit harder.
I doubt there will be another store quite like it — at least not one I can walk to here in downtown Sarasota.
Wade Tatangelo is the executive editor of the Sarasota Herald-Tribune and Florida dining and entertainment editor for the USA TODAY Network. Follow him on Facebook, Instagram, and X. He can be reached by email at wade.tatangelo@heraldtribune.com. Support local journalism by subscribing.
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Downtown Sarasota business closing after being open 27 years
