A new farm-to-fork restaurant serving locally-sourced, seasonal food, is coming to University Town Center (UTC) in Sarasota. Tampa-based Naked Farmer is opening its fourth location in the West District at UTC in a 2,300-square-foot space between Blaze Pizza and Crumbl Cookies. The growing chain is on a mission to build a better food system. Scheduled to open this summer, the fine-casual restaurant offers a healthy menu that is unique and flavorful, changing with the seasons for optimal quality and ultimate taste. Diners can choose from one of the rotating chef pairings or build their own harvest bowls filled with the freshest, most seasonal and locally-sourced ingredients. Naked Farmer has become known for its creatively prepared vegetable-forward menu. The restaurant partners with farmers they know on a first-name basis, like Black Street Farms in St. Petersburg, FL, which means vegetables are harvested as little as 24 hours before being served. Meals are made with farm-fresh food cooked from scratch daily and reasonably priced, starting at $12. Naked Farmer has a mission to become 100 percent local in the sourcing of its food. The company has built a direct-to-farm supply chain with farms in the Tampa Bay region and throughout Florida. The menu is developed in direct conversation with small and medium-sized farmers nearby, brought in from the fields, and cooked with care by chefs who know their vegetables. Some of the fall menu items currently available include roasted sweet potatoes, charred broccoli with lemon and garlic, and roasted carrots with spicy vegan ranch. Naked Farmer is among an exciting lineup of new businesses coming to UTC. Other new shops and restaurants opening soon include Florida’s first Homesense; Christmas Tree Shops; Rocco’s Tacos and Tequila Bar; Yard House, a modern American restaurant and bar with more than 100 beers on tap; Orlando’s famed Foxtail Coffee Co; 3Natives Acai and Juicery; locally owned Anna Maria Oyster Bar; Kelly’s Roast Beef, a Boston-area staple for more than 70 years; Post Kitchen & Bar; and The Breakfast Company.

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