Nashville-based BrickTop's is opening a 7,500-square-foot upscale restaurant at University Town Center, targeting a mid- to late-summer 2027 debut near the intersection of University Parkway and North Cattlemen Road.

The chain, which bills itself as "new American" dining, serves steaks, sushi, seafood, and sandwiches alongside appetizers like deviled eggs with sugar bacon, grilled artichokes, and tuna tartare. Brunch and dessert menus round out the offerings.

A "coming soon" sign was already visible along University Parkway as of Friday, July 24, according to the Business Observer, which first reported the opening.

Leigh Anne Balsman, BrickTop's project manager, told the Business Observer the Sarasota location at 55 N. Cattlemen Road will span about 7,500 square feet. Benderson Development spokesperson Julie Fanning cited 7,000 square feet in the same report. The Herald-Tribune reported a spring 2027 target, though Balsman specified mid- to late-summer.

"The eatery in Sarasota will span 7,000 square feet and is aiming for a summer 2027 opening," Fanning told the Business Observer on July 24.

BrickTop's was founded in 2006 by restaurateurs Joe Ledbetter and Tom Brunnberg. Its first location opened in Naples that June. The company now operates four Florida restaurants: one in Naples, one in Miramar Beach, and two in the Palm Beach area. A fifth, in Delray Beach, is set to open in fall 2026.

The Sarasota location lands in a UTC corridor that already counts more than 80 dining options among its 200-plus retailers, according to Benderson Development. Recent arrivals include Blu Kouzina, a Greek restaurant at 295 N. Cattlemen Road that opened in March 2026, and Yugen, a Japanese "hidden chef's counter" concept at 190 N. Cattlemen Road that opened in February 2026.

More is on the way.

Tampa-based restaurants Olivia and On Swann are being built from the ground up along Cattlemen Road near Florida Blue, both targeting 2027 openings, Fanning said. Furniture retailers West Elm and Ikea are also headed to the area, with Ikea's 48,000-square-foot store at 147 N. Cattlemen Road now targeting a winter 2027 opening after its earlier summer 2026 target slipped.

BrickTop's is a separate venture from Wolfie's Hand Cut, the fast-casual deli concept also planning a UTC location in late 2026. BrickTop's is sit-down, upscale dining at a different price point.

No permit filings or groundbreaking dates have been publicly announced for the BrickTop's build-out.