Tastes of the Philippines, a fast-casual, build-your-own-box restaurant featuring Filipino cuisine, recently opened in downtown Sarasota.
The soft opening, which took place over the weekend (Sept. 18-19), the restaurant served more than 1,000 customers, management said. The restaurant is located in the Courthouse Centre at 1987 Ringling Blvd. Owner Patrick Takano told the Herald-Tribune that though the opening was "hectic," he was happy that his concept was "flooded" with customers.
"I didn't realize exactly how many Filipinos lived in Sarasota," Takano said. "I would say about 70% of the people who stopped were of that heritage. It was cool to see the reception of our new concept."
Takano said that, for the time being, the restaurant would be closed
on Sundays and Mondays until he can operate at full capacity. Tastes of the Philippines is serving a limited menu, as everything is made from scratch.
While a banner is draped over the former Pho Licious sign temporarily, Takano said that the restaurant should have its official signage installed by mid-October.
What is Tastes of the Philippines?
Tastes of the Philippines serves Filipino food in a fast-casual setting. The restaurant features natural décor reflecting the culture of the Philippines.
Its dishes are prepared from scratch and cooked over an open flame, bringing what the restaurant describes as the bold, bright flavors of the Philippines to downtown Sarasota.
The restaurant offers 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 are given the choice to select from various flavorful proteins to serve as the base for a box with garlic fried rice, lumpia and turon.
Takano previously told the Herald-Tribune that the new restaurant has 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.
"No one is doing what we (are) with Filipino cuisine," Takano said. "We're bringing authentic culture and Filipino cuisine to Sarasota, in a high-heat, fast-cooking environment."
The space offers indoor seating and 90% of the staff he has brought on are Filipino, in an effort to keep flavors genuine 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 helped keep start-up costs down.
Tastes of the Philippines is 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, 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 restaurant, 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," Takano wrote on social media. “The bold, soulful flavors of the Philippines deserve a place at the heart of the neighborhood.”
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 onLinkedIn 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 Sarasota restaurant draws big opening-weekend crowd | Exclusive
