Restaurant opens first location in county

SARASOTA — Comfort food restaurant Metro Diner will open its first location in Sarasota on July 5.

The 3,404-square-foot restaurant at Westfield Siesta Key mall will offer diner classics and serve all-day breakfast, lunch and dinner.

The diner will hire over 100 Sarasota-area residents, according to a press release, including servers, hosts, bartenders and kitchen staff.

Metro Diner will have seating for 125 guests. It will be open Sunday to Thursday from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Friday to Saturday from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.

The diner has a scratch kitchen where it makes its own sauces, soups and compotes. Signature dishes include fried chicken and waffles; Charleston shrimp and grits; and a meatloaf plate. Most dishes at the restaurant are under $15.

“Guests feel at home when they come to Metro Diner because we welcome them as if they are coming to our own house,” says Metro Diner founder and Chef Mark Davoli in a statement. “Sarasota is a tightknit community and we look forward to instilling that same sense of familiarity when our diner opens its doors in the heart of the suburbs.”

Metro Diner was established in 1992 with a restaurant in Jacksonville. It now has locations in several states.