Restaurant firm marks its latest acquisition

Gecko's Hospitality Group, one of the largest independently owned restaurant companies in the Sarasota-Bradenton region, continues to add restaurants to its portfolio.

The latest is Marker 4 in Venice, part of the Fisherman's Wharf Marina complex. Terms of the acquisition, announced April 3, weren't disclosed. A spokeswoman for Sarasota-based Gecko's says the company will rebrand the location as Dockside Waterfront Grill at Marker 4, probably by May.

The waterfront restaurant offers boat dockage, ample parking and views of Roberts and Dona Bays, according to a statement. “Our Venice, Nokomis and Englewood friends have been encouraging us to make a home in the community,” Gecko's co-owner Mike Quillen says in the statement, “so when this opportunity arose we were delighted to be able to accept their welcome.”

Gecko's Hospitality Group bought the Dry Dock Waterfront Grill, a landmark Longboat Key restaurant, last fall. The company owns six Geckos's Gill and Pubs, from one on Clark Road, in south Sarasota, to one on State Road 64, in north Manatee County. Gecko's also owns S'macks Burgers and Shakes on Bee Ridge Road in Sarasota and the Red Bar Barn in Sarasota. Founded in 1992, it has more than 400 employees.