SARASOTA, Fla. — When Tiger Woods’ PopStroke opens in Sarasota early next year, it will be the crown jewel of a new commercial development that has been teased for years.
PopStroke, the golf and casual dining concept in which Woods is a partner, broke ground on its newest location in Sarasota, Florida, on Wednesday morning.
It’s the first dining and entertainment project in development for the long-awaited East District. Benderson Development Co., the owner of the entire four million-square-foot University Town Center, has teased the part of the East District adjacent to the highway in various phases for at least five years.
Past plans included an iPic luxury movie theater chain, canals, hotel rooms and high-end residential, retail and office space.
But for now, Benderson is keeping quiet about the rest of its plans for the East District.
What we do know is that construction on Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium’s new building is happening. On Wednesday morning, construction crews were working on the future aquarium site near the roundabout that connects North Cattlemen and DeSoto roads.
We also know that PopStroke is the kickoff point for all future dining and entertainment offerings at the East District. And it’s a pretty big get.
PopStroke is slowly growing across Florida, as well as in other states where golf is popular. The company currently has locations in Port St. Lucie and Fort Myers.
Another location in Orlando is scheduled to open this year, and in 2022 there will be PopStroke locations opening in Tampa and Delray, Florida, as well as Houston, Texas, and in Scottsdale and Glendale, Arizona.
Direct delivery of craft cocktails
Greg Bartoli, the founder of PopStroke, summed up what his company is all about in remarks at the groundbreaking ceremony.
“Long gone are the days of windmills and clown mouths,” Bartoli said, referencing kitschy miniature golf concepts of the past. “Instead we have professionally designed putting courses by the greatest putter of all time.”
Instead of the clown mouths, he said, PopStroke has direct delivery of craft cocktails to each hole. It has a playground for children of all ages. And it has a restaurant and bar area with trendy food.
“Regardless of age, regardless of skill level, gender, background—it doesn’t matter—there’s something here for everybody,” he said. “When I look at our properties I get most excited and thrilled by the fact that I see a five-year-old having just as much fun as a 75-year-old grandfather would have.”
The Sarasota location has two floorse. Guests will check in on the east side of the building. There’s an open central area with a bar and some tables. On the west side there’s a two-floor restaurant and bar. The upstairs area, which is more of a 21-plus environment, Bartoli said, can be rented out for private events.
“This one is going to be slightly larger,” he said. “We’ve expanded the restaurant footprint a little bit, and the golf course is a little bit wider and longer than the other golf courses are.”
Like other PopStrokes, the Sarasota course will still be 36 holes total—it’s just built on a larger piece of land. In total, the Sarasota location will sit on about three acres and be roughly 13,000-14,000 square feet.
PopStroke makes sense because it’s outdoors, there’s a food and drinks component and every member of the family can find something to do there. Its concept provides a sense of safety for guests that might be worried about COVID. That’s good news for a landlord in this day and age.