Charley's Steak House plans to open a 14,000-square-foot restaurant near Lakewood Ranch Town Center, according to newly filed development documents first reported by Tampa Bay Business & Wealth Magazine.

The upscale steakhouse would be the chain's first location in the Sarasota-Manatee market and its fourth in Florida. Orlando-based Talk of the Town Restaurant Group, which owns the brand, operates Charley's locations in Tampa, Orlando and Celebration.

The restaurant is proposed for 6120 Exchange Way, just east of Interstate 75 and north of University Parkway. The site sits near Market Square, where Publix, First Watch and other businesses serve surrounding neighborhoods. Development plans also show space for a possible 4,000-square-foot bank, though no bank tenant has been identified.

Talk of the Town Restaurant Group has not announced a construction schedule, opening date or expected investment for the project.

A family restaurant legacy

The Woodsby family's restaurant roots run deep in Florida. Charley Woodsby partnered with William Darden to open the first Red Lobster in Lakeland in 1968. Woodsby and his son Ron later established Talk of the Town in 1974, developing Charley's and other brands including Texas Cattle Company and FishBones.

Charley's is known for steaks aged on-site for four to six weeks and cooked over custom-built, 1,200-degree pits fueled by Florida citrus wood and oak. An 8-ounce filet mignon runs $63, and a 50-ounce porterhouse goes for $155.

Tampa relocation underway

The Lakewood Ranch expansion comes as the company prepares to relocate its longtime Tampa steakhouse. That Westshore location, open since 1998, will move to a 15,000-square-foot building across from International Plaza, the Tampa Bay Business Journal reported in March. The new Tampa restaurant is expected to open in April 2027 and will include additional private dining space. The current location will remain open until the move.

Growing community, growing demand

Lakewood Ranch has grown to more than 80,000 residents with a median household income of approximately $116,000, according to Schroeder-Manatee Ranch, the community's master developer, as reported by Tampa Bay Business & Wealth Magazine.

The community recorded 1,064 new-home sales during the first half of 2026, ranking second nationally among master-planned communities, according to RCLCO Real Estate Consulting's mid-year report. Only The Villages, with an estimated 1,800 sales, ranked higher. RCLCO called Lakewood Ranch the top-selling multigenerational community in the country.

No public hearing dates or permit milestones for the Lakewood Ranch steakhouse have been announced.