Latest reporting from the Business desk.
Chipotle Mexican Grill opened its eighth Manatee County restaurant on Tuesday, Sept. 29, at 16680 State Road 64 E. in Lakewood Ranch's Northchase Center, marking the company's 1,500th location with a Chipotlane drive-thru.
Business
Bread Bandits, a Sarasota artisan bakery known for sourdough and pastries, opened a takeaway location at 8130 Lakewood Main St., Suite 103, in Lakewood Ranch, expanding from its Farmers' Market presence to a permanent storefront.
Business
Just Salad opened Friday, Aug. 21, at The Market at University Town Center, and at least four more restaurants — Pure Green, Olivia, On Swann and BrickTop's — are targeting openings at the district through 2027.
Business
A $3.4 million sale in The Concession topped 35 Lakewood Ranch residential transactions for the week of Aug. 3–7, with 11 sales closing at or above $1 million and a handful of properties selling below prior peaks.
Business
Lakewood Ranch Corporate Park-based Four Winds IT has acquired Venice's Suncoast IT Consultants, expanding its client base past 300 small and mid-sized businesses across Southwest Florida.
Business
Tommy Bahama's Marlin Bar has opened at Waterside Place in Lakewood Ranch, offering scratch-made food, handcrafted cocktails and daily live music in a fast-casual, no-reservation format adjacent to a retail store.
Business
Church's Texas Chicken closed a $975,000 purchase of a 1.14-acre site at 2815 First St. E. in Bradenton on July 28, planning to build its first Manatee County restaurant on the busy First Street East corridor used daily by Lakewood Ranch commuters.
Business
Sarasota Memorial Health Care System, which operates a freestanding ER and outpatient campus in Lakewood Ranch, ranked No. 1 in Florida and 28th nationally on Forbes' 2026 "America's Best Employers for Women" list released Aug. 10.
Business
GROVE at Lakewood Ranch hosts a five-course Mediterranean wine dinner on Aug. 21 featuring pairings from Spain, Greece, France, Lebanon and Italy, guided by wine professional Courtney Cooper, at $125 per person.
Business
Manatee County building records show Walmart has filed plans for a nearly 48,000-square-foot Neighborhood Market at 6350 Uihlein Road, the chain's second such store planned for the county in a year, though no construction or opening date has been set.
Business
Million-dollar single-family home sales in Manatee County jumped 29.6% year over year during the spring 2026 selling season, with 301 seven-figure transactions recorded as part of a broader luxury surge across the Sarasota-Manatee market.
Business
Franchise owner Karen Jordan plans to open a Chicken Salad Chick at 6650 Fruitville Road in Sarasota, east of I-75 near Lakewood Ranch, marking the chain's first Sarasota County location; no opening date has been confirmed.
Business
The Manatee Chamber of Commerce named more than 75 honorees for its 46th Annual Small Business and Nonprofit of the Year Awards, with several Lakewood Ranch-area businesses and nonprofits on the list ahead of the Aug. 28 luncheon at the Bradenton Area Convention Center.
©2026 Lakewood Ranch Beacon
Powered by Surround Sound Media