The family behind Sharky's On The Pier in Venice will operate the first waterfront restaurant at Sarasota's Bay Park. The 4,999-square-foot eatery is planned for the end of 10th Street along the boat basin.

The Venice Pier Group, led by President Justin Pachota and Vice President Mike Pachota, appeared before the city's Development Review Committee (DRC) on Oct. 7 through project consultant Philip DiMaria of Kimley-Horn, as first reported by Your Observer. The pre-application conference was the first formal permitting step for the restaurant.

"Today, we're before you to begin the process of permitting the 10th Street restaurant, which will be the first restaurant in The Bay," DiMaria told the panel, according to Your Observer.

At 4,999 square feet, the building falls one foot under the 5,000-square-foot threshold that allows administrative site plan approval within the Bay Park Zone district, bypassing a full City Commission review. The Bay Park Conservancy (BPC) had described the restaurant in a May presentation to the City Commission as "approximately 5,000 square feet under roof." The DRC's Oct. 7 agenda lists it at "approximately ±4,999 square foot."

The restaurant is part of the Phase 2 Canal District, located across the basin from the boat launch at what has long been known as Centennial Park. A floating day dock providing direct water access to the restaurant site is already finished, according to Your Observer.

The BPC's May presentation said the building would sit atop 12-foot pylons for flood resilience and be designed in Sarasota Modern style by Sweet Sparkman Architecture, with fewer than 220 indoor seats and 100 outdoor seats. The conservancy's timeline targets a September 2027 opening.

Mike Pachota opened Sharky's On The Pier on Feb. 10, 1987. It had 78 seats. The family later added Fins at Sharky's in December 2013 and operates Snook Haven, a smokehouse on the Myakka River, according to the company's website. Your Observer reported the group has also handled concessions at Sarasota County's Snook Haven Park, while the BPC's May presentation listed concessions at Siesta Beach Pavilion.

The restaurant is the first of potentially three dining venues planned for the center of the 53-acre park site, which currently hosts the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall. Two more restaurants are planned for Phase 3, with locations still being finalized within an 8-acre parking lot that will be converted largely to green space.

The eatery is also a key component for generating revenue for long-term park operations, according to Your Observer. The Bay is a $200 million project funded equally by philanthropy through the BPC and by city and county property tax revenues from a tax increment financing district surrounding the park. As of May 18, the park's people counters had recorded 1.15 million visits since opening in fall 2022. Mayor Debbie Trice pointed to that figure as extraordinary for a city of 58,000, according to the conservancy's May presentation to the City Commission.

Before construction can begin, the property at 1059 North Tamiami Trail must be rezoned from Governmental to the Bay Park Zone district through applications 26-ZTA-03 and 26-REN-05, according to the DRC agenda. A community workshop on the proposed rezoning was held in July, where residents asked about height limits, parking and oversight of future development.