SRQ DAILY Jan 19, 2026
Monday Business Edition
"We're not just selling good food and empanadas. "
When The Empanada Girl first appeared at the Sarasota Farmers Market in March 2010, few shoppers knew what an empanada was. Founder and owner Stefania Fochi—a culinary school graduate with a love for the dish—started with just a handful of flavors and the goal of sharing food with her community. “There was nobody making empanadas in Sarasota. I'm Argentine, so empanadas are an integral part of our culture,” says Fochi. “I had gone to culinary school, and I was in the process of getting a business degree after my culinary degree, and the rest is history.”
Now, after more than a decade as a staple at the market, The Empanada Girl has officially planted deeper roots with the opening of The Empanada Girl Cafe, its new and first storefront. “I always loved being able to really respect the food and put love into it, and then serve people face to face at the market,” says Fochi. “I've always made everything from scratch, the dough, the fillings. Little by little, demand grew.” After buying a food truck for the business in 2023, she decided to open a permanent storefront this year.
While the space itself has been part of her family’s pasta business for more than 10 years, Fochi took over the ownership earlier this year, after her grandmother retired, and began transforming it into a modern, welcoming cafe centered around her signature dish. “I've essentially been tasked with making it current and fresh, bringing in new ideas, and just listening to what customers want, essentially, and then expanding on that. Now we're in a period of self-discovery,” she says.
As she continues to build her first brick-and-mortar business, Fochi is expanding its offerings. While empanadas remain the heart of the business—with more than 25 rotating flavors available—the cafe has also begun serving a range of espresso drinks and a selection of prepared meals like lasagna, chicken parmesan, meatballs, fresh salads and desserts, all made from scratch.
Looking ahead, Fochi plans to make The Empanada Girl Cafe just as much of a staple for the community as her food truck and tent are at the farmers market. “We're not just selling good food and empanadas. It's also about the community and the connection and finding people that are in alignment with that. So many people come to the store regularly, and part of it is the connections that we build,” she says.
The Empanada Girl Cafe, 4141 South Tamiami Trail, Unit 13, empanadagirl.com
Impact100SRQ is a women-led, all-volunteer organization committed to collective giving and thoughtful philanthropy in our local community. At least 100 women each give a $1,000 tax deductible donation, and together they collectively award grants in increments of at least $100,000 to nonprofits serving Sarasota and Manatee Counties in five focus areas: Arts, Culture & History; Education; Environment, Recreation & Animal Welfare; Family; and Health & Wellness. Every member has a voice and a vote in the grantmaking process, helping determine which nonprofit initiatives receive funding and support. Our Mission: To Empower Women to Collectively Fund Transformational Grants to Nonprofits in Sarasota & Manatee Counties. When women come together with purpose, generosity is amplified and impact is multiplied. Please join us for the 2026 Giving Year—membership is open through March 26, 2026.
Impact100 SRQ is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
Left untreated, sleep disorders can impair memory and concentration and lead to long-term health complications, including heart disease and stroke. Community members experiencing loud snoring, witnessed pauses in breathing during sleep, unrefreshing sleep, morning headaches, or excessive daytime sleepiness are encouraged to speak with their healthcare provider about an at-home or overnight diagnostic sleep study. The multidisciplinary team at Sarasota Memorial’s new, accredited Sleep Disorder Center provides comprehensive evaluations, at-home or overnight diagnostic sleep studies and individualized treatment plans for a wide range of conditions disrupting essential sleep, including obstructive and central sleep apnea, circadian rhythm disorders, insomnia, narcolepsy and hypersomnia, snoring and restless legs syndrome. A physician referral is required. For more information, community members can visit: https://www.smh.com/Home/Services/sleep-disorder-center.
Shumaker is proud to announce the election of seven attorneys to partner. Practicing across a broad range of disciplines and markets, the newly elected partners strengthen the firm’s depth of experience and enhance its ability to serve clients at the local, regional, and national levels. Their election reflects Shumaker’s strategic growth and continued investment in developing exceptional legal talent.
House Watch Sarasota, which had been operating under the umbrella of Girl Friday Sarasota since 2009, has relaunched as an independent business serving Sarasota and Manatee counties. The basic House Watch Sarasota service consists of 90-point inspection visits to the home, which include checking the inside and outside of the property thoroughly, ensuring everything is secure, and making sure all is well with the air conditioner, plumbing, electric, landscaping, and pool. Pre- and post-hurricane services, and other additional services such as alarm calls and furniture delivery, are also available. For more information, visit housewatchsarasota.com.
Sarasota Memorial Health Care System kicked off 2026 achieving what no other Florida hospital could: a perfect 5-Star rating from the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services — every year — for 10 years straight. For patients and families on the Suncoast, the decade-long quality streak serves as a powerful promise, said David Verinder, CEO of the community-owned Sarasota Memorial Health Care System. As part of its celebration, Sarasota Memorial is inviting the community to help honor the team with a “Stargram.” Community members can share a note of thanks and send a digital Stargram recognizing staff members who went above and beyond on the hospital’s website (www.smh.com/stargram). Stargrams will be delivered directly to recognized employees and their leadership teams, ensuring the people “behind the stars” receive the personal recognition they deserve.
Syprett Meshad announces the retirement of founding partner Michael L. Resnick, who concluded his family law practice at the end of 2025. His retirement brings to a close an extraordinary 52-year career spent guiding thousands of individuals, couples, and families with skillful counsel, thoughtful planning, and steadfast representation. At the time of his retirement, Mr. Resnick had served as President of the firm for 20 years, leading its legal team through decades of significant local and regional growth.
As several cultural institutions and cities across Sarasota County mark 100 years in 2026, Visit Sarasota County (VSC) is compelling visitors and residents to take part in these once-in-a-century celebrations. In-depth guides on VisitSarasota.com – one for countywide milestones, the other for the City of Venice’s centennial – walk vacationers through special events, history, and ways to engage with local businesses, particular through two mobile experiences. Residents are encouraged to follow VSC’s social channels for ongoing updates and opportunities to engage with centennial celebrations across the county. For a comprehensive list of events, passes, and planning resources, visit https://www.visitsarasota.com/blog/sarasota-countys-centennial-celebrations.
10 speakers will be invited to present 10 images of their work, interest, or inspiration. Slides advance automatically every 30 seconds with brief introductions between the speakers. The informal and fast paced event is intended to showcase and introduce a diverse group of leaders and creative minds from our community. The event is organized by architect Michael Halflants and painter Tim Jaeger.
Sarasota Art Museum, 1001 S Tamiami Trl, Sarasota, FL 34236
This long-term installation in Gallery 10 of the Museum of Art showcases five outstanding examples of 17th-century Dutch painting on loan from the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Featuring a dramatic seascape, an expansive landscape, and captivating portraits set in detailed interiors, this exhibition offers a window into the vibrant artistic production of the Netherlands as the small nation rose to global prominence in the 17th century. The five exceptional paintings from the collections of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, complement The Ringling's holdings of Dutch art and provide additional perspective on the artistry, historical significance, and continuing appeal of Dutch painting from this period.
Ringling Museum, 5401 Bay Shore Rd, Sarasota
Mayer explores the impact of technology on the human body through this interactive sculpture series. Slumpies invites viewers to sit and slump on these sculptures, much like furniture, and find a place of comfort while using their technological devices.
Sarasota Art Museum, 1001 S Tamiami Trl, Sarasota, FL 34236
Juana Romani (1867–1924) was one of the most fascinating and successful painters in late-nineteenth-century Paris. Born in Italy, Juana—whose given name was Giovanna Carlesimo—moved to Paris with her mother and stepfather at the age of ten. She took up painting, studying under the well-known painters Jean-Jacques Henner (1829–1905) and Ferdinand Roybet (1840–1920). Romani quickly earned both critical praise and significant fame for her deftly painted, richly colorful depictions of strong, sensual women adorned in lavish textiles.
Ringling Museum, 5401 Bay Shore Rd, Sarasota, FL 34243
The monthly Saturday Night Sketch Club offers chill, creative vibes with costumed models or themed still lifes, and refreshments. Come solo or bring a friend. No experience needed.
ArtCenter Sarasota, 707 N Tamiami Trl, Sarasota
Enjoy music, theater, literature, dance, and more as part of the Hermitage Sunsets at Selby Gardens series. Each hour-long program features selections of work as well as candid and engaging conversations with the world-class artists who come to the Hermitage to create art in an inspirational environment.
Selby Gardens
Thursdays and Saturdays, 7:30pm. Step right up to solve the murder of Dahlia the Queen of the High Wire on this interactive murder mystery who-dunnit.
Wednesdays, 10am. Go back in time to the 1920’s in Sarasota to hear from three leading ladies (Bertha Palmer, Marie Selby and Mable Ringling) as portrayed by Kathryn Chesley, who shaped Sarasota into a cultural icon.
Hatch’s newly commissioned “plate painting,” Amalgam (2023), was created specifically for Sarasota Art Museum. Consisting of more than 450 earthenware plates hand-painted in white, blue, and gold luster, the abstract lines and shapes in Amalgam are drawn from a variety of historical ceramics from around the globe.
Sarasota Art Museum, 1001 S Tamiami Trl, Sarasota, FL 34236
Sundays, 1pm. Join psychic and tarot reader, Deni Dreazen on a metaphysical exploration trolley tour of Sarasota. Visit Pixie Dust gift shop, experience a sound bath at the Crocker Memorial Church with sound healer, Kaylene McCaw, and then walk the labyrinth.
Wednesdays, 10:30am. Explore Art Deco, Mid-Century Modern (the Sarasota School of Architecture) and Mediterranean Revival Architecture buildings, homes and structures of Sarasota on this 90-minute mainland tour.
Mondays, 1pm. Join Jerome Chesley as you explore more than 60 pieces of public art located in downtown and St. Armands.
Saturdays, 1pm. This tour led by circus historian Bob Collins explores the fascinating legacy of the Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey Circus.
Make your Saturday mornings even more fun! Check out the Backyard Science program for elementary-aged learners at The Bishop’s incredible indoor Mosaic Backyard Universe. This wildly popular learning program offers a wide range of activities, observations, and crafts that are sure to spark curiosity and ignite learning.
Bishop Museum of Science and Nature, 201 10th Street West Bradenton FL 34205
Thursdays, 10am. Discover with our expert guide, Kendra Cross, why Sarasota is the only place in the world that the Amish and Mennonite communities come to vacation en masse. In Pinecraft, enjoy the tour stops at Alma Sue’s Quilt Shop, The Carlisle Inn and Der Dutchman Amish Kitchen Cooking Restaurant for shopping and a pie shooter sample of their delicious pie!
Swing into an evening of style, swagger, and timeless charm with Feeling Good, a high-energy celebration of modern crooners. From the timeless elegance of Sinatra and the smooth sophistication of Michael Bublé to the sparkle of Bette Midler and Lady Gaga, this show delivers silky vocals, irresistible rhythms, and captivating personality. Savor swingin’ favorites like “Come Fly With Me” and “It Had to Be You,” fresh hits like “Home” and “Moondance,” and delightfully cheeky numbers such as “Stuff Like That There” and “Me and Mrs. Jones.” Equal parts class and sass, Feeling Good will leave you – well – feeling good.
Florida Studio Theatre, 1241 N Palm Ave, Sarasota, FL 34236
Stelliferous is your monthly guide to the night skies and the latest news from the world of astronomy. You can enjoy our upgraded Planetarium system and feel like an astronaut as you experience our 50-foot dome!
Bishop Museum of Science and Nature, 201 10th St W, Bradenton
This exhibition highlights contemporary Native design, craftwork, and art that employ the formal and aesthetic elements of abstraction as meaningful motifs and coded tools of Indigenous expression to communicate tribal cultures and histories, ancestral knowledge, and the lived experiences of the artists and their communities. Explored in a variety of media, including basket weaving, beadwork, collage, clay, textiles, photography, metalwork, and printmaking rooted in ancestral technologies, their work shares similar stylistic and social concerns, such as vibrant color, hard-edged geometries, curvilinear patterns, and bold mark-making, all infused with personal stories and those of their kin.
Ringling Museum, 5401 Bay Shore Rd, Sarasota, FL 34243
This exhibition highlights contemporary Native design, craftwork, and art that employ the formal and aesthetic elements of abstraction as meaningful motifs and coded tools of Indigenous expression to communicate tribal cultures and histories, ancestral knowledge, and the lived experiences of the artists and their communities.
Ringling Museum, 5401 Bay Shore Rd, Sarasota, FL 34243
Join us for a weekly guided tour of the night sky in our state-of-the-art planetarium. As Earth moves around the sun, different objects come into view. We'll not only discuss what you can see this season, we'll fly you there!
Bishop Museum of Science and Nature, 201 10th St W, Bradenton
Award-winning Hermitage Fellows offer a unique glimpse into their creative process, sharing original works in process with our Gulf Coast audiences. These free hour-long programs take the shape of musical performances, playreadings, concerts, visual art demonstrations, panel discussions, master classes, exhibitions, open studios,and more. The presentations are often works in process, giving Hermitage audiences a look into the creative process before these works go on to leading theaters, concert halls, and museums around the world.
Hermitage Artist Retreat, 6660 Manasota Key Rd, Englewood, FL 34223
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