Sarasota boasts all manner of high-end restaurants and bars, from steakhouses and sushi spots to speakeasies and swanky lounges.
But only one posh place had the chutzpah to enact a minimum tab.
Yes, Sugar Champagne Bar became perhaps the most talked-about business in Sarasota when it opened last March and put a serious price on luxury.
Sugar, at 127 S. Pineapple Ave., occupies a striking pink, two-story building with dark trim, gold signage and a black enclosed patio advertising Champagne, caviar and a piano lounge. Towering palms and vivid floral murals add to the glamorous facade, which stands in sharp contrast to the modern high-rise looming behind it.
Yes, Sugar turns heads.
From the start, guests at the downtown Sarasota drinking and dining
destination were expected to adhere to a dress code and pay a premium for Sugar’s upscale experience.
Cocktails ranged from $24 to $27, while a serving of caviar could cost as much as a working-class car payment.
The shot heard around Sarasota County? Reserved seating inside the bar required a $150 minimum spend per person.
Yes, that got people talking.
And you know what they say about publicity.
Now, though, Ronnie Shugar, the sharply dressed owner of Sugar Champagne Bar and the unmistakable pink Rolls-Royce seen parked out front or cruising up and down Main Street, has changed his tune.
Guests can now sip Champagne, spoon caviar, dine beside the piano or arrive in a pink Rolls-Royce — all without being required to spend $150 for the privilege.
The minimum tab that created such a stir has been dropped.
“From the beginning, we wanted Sugar to be a place where people could enjoy incredible food and Champagne, listen to world-class live music and feel immersed in something different,” Shugar said in a statement. “Now we’re bringing that experience to an even broader Gulf Coast audience.”
Shugar also noted that chef Erik Decker is serving Wagyu tenderloin, king crab rolls, red snapper and the bar’s signature caviar alongside more than 70 Champagnes, plus seasonal dishes and customized tasting experiences.
Who is Sugar Champagne Bar owner Ronnie Shugar?
Ronnie Shugar is, by all accounts, a successful businessman who loves Sarasota.
Last year, for instance, he gave a $4 million gift to the Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee to establish the Shugar Pool Club, an aquatic facility featuring three pool styles tailored to different age groups and skill levels on the Greenspon Campus for Jewish Life.
Perhaps not all publicity is good publicity, and the $150 minimum turned away potential customers.
Well, now it’s gone.
Here’s hoping the Champagne and caviar continue to flow at Sugar.
Chances are, I’ll be bellied up at the Gator Club’s downstairs bar around the corner, sipping from its finest bottle of Miller Lite.
To each his own, right?
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 bar and restaurant drops $150 minimum | Exclusive
