Restaurant company hits 50 locations

SARASOTA — Metro Diner plans to open two more Sarasota restaurants in March.

A Lockwood Ridge location will open March 13 and a Venice location will open March 20. The 6056 N. Lockwood Ridge Road location will be the company's 50th restaurant. The first Metro Diner in Sarasota opened in July 2017 at Westfield Siesta Key mall.

According to a press release, the company is "on track for continued growth over the next few years." It has more than 35 additional diners planned in 13 states in 2018.

Mark Davoli co-founded Metro Diner with his father, John Sr., and his brother John Jr.

“I'm dedicated to defining Metro Diner as the total family dining experience, as family is the core of the company's business operations,” says Mark Davoli in a statement. “With my partners Chris Sullivan, a founder of Outback Steakhouse, Hugh Connerty Jr. and Carl Sahlsten — we made fun, family and exciting the words to live by at Metro Diner and are dedicating our attention to growth.”

Metro Diner also has locations in Alabama, Delaware, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Virginia. In 2018, the company plans to open its first locations in New Jersey, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas and South Carolina. The company was founded in 1992 with a single restaurant in Jacksonville.