Restaurant group plans departure from museum

SARASOTA — Tableseide Restaurant Group will depart as the food service vendor for The Ringling museum, including Muse at The Ringling, Banyan Cafe and the coffee shop. 

The departure is effective June 30, according to a press release.

Tableseide entered into a five-year contract with Florida State University in July 2015 as sole operator of all food service venues on the grounds of The Ringling. During that period, Tableseide transitioned the restaurant Treviso to Muse at The Ringling. Muse is located in The Ringling visitor center. 

Tableseide officials, in the statement, say once the contract came up for renewal, the firm understood its core brands — Libby’s, Lemon Tree, Circo and Tableseide Catering — are the heart of the company and it decided to not rebid its contract with Florida State University.

“The past five years have been a wonderful experience, I am proud of the local touch and innovation that we brought to a landmark of Sarasota," says Joe Guli, CEO of Tableseide Restaurant Group, in the statement. "We were honored to be a part of such a wonderful history and look forward to passing the touch to the new vendor. We are excited to shift our focus to our core brands, our company continues to grow and we are excited for the extra resources to focus toward our brands that are the heart of our company." 

Tableseide will work closely with the new vendor to make the transition smooth, the release states. Employees will be offered jobs at other Tableseide locations if they choose. Tableseide Catering will still be an approved vendor for catering special events at The Ringling. 

Sarasota-based Tableseide Restaurant Group is the parent company that owns and operates Libby’s Neighborhood Brasserie (with locations in Southside Village and Lakewood Ranch), Lemon Tree Kitchen, Circo and Tableseide Catering. Tableseide Restaurant Group reported $11 million in gross revenue in 2018.