Ever since high school, childhood friends John Tassotti and Jason Lefrock had talked about owning their own bar and restaurant together. Over a decade ago, when they were in their early twenties, John and Jay had owned and operated a successful bar and nightclub in Clearwater Beach. Now somewhat older, presumably more mature, and back home in Sarasota they set their sights on a new project: opening a restaurant in downtown Sarasota that would be fresh and different.
They would discuss restaurant ideas with each other and their friend, David Goldman, a local attorney who had worked through college and law school in restaurants and country clubs in New York and New Orleans. They all admired local restaurants that served food that used local, seasonal and organic ingredients and was prepared creatively and inventively, but not convoluted in complexity to the point of overkill. They believed that the freshness of the ingredients should come through though with an innovative and original twist.

They would also talk about restaurants, particularly in other cities, whose décor and design had that “wow” factor. Not necessarily lavish and luxurious, but with a unique ambiance that was both stylish and fun.
The idea of opening a visually stunning and exciting restaurant that served local fresh-made food was appealing. The development of Sarasota’s downtown had caught their attention and interest, and the time seemed to be right for opening such a restaurant.