The owner of the Sarasota deli, which is now permanently closed, said: “When you lose 40% of your sales for five months of the year, it hurts – it really hurts.”
What are the best restaurants in Florida? Here are 15 of our favorites.
Discover the best restaurants in Florida, recommended by USA TODAY Florida Network food journalists for 2024.
A New York-style Jewish deli that started as a carryout business and later expanded into a full-service restaurant has now closed its doors in Sarasota.
Meshugana Deli has permanently closed at its 4001 Clark Road location after its last day of business on Aug. 3, owner Adam Woldman said. The deli originally opened in 2022 for takeout and catering in the shared commercial cafeteria Your Culinary Place at Gulf Gate before moving to the Clark Road location in the former space of The Farm House.
Woldman said the restaurant faced challenges, including declining business during the months when snowbird residents left the Sarasota area, until eventually “we ran out of money.”
One of the best restaurants in the University Town Center of Sarasota will be permanently closed
Sarasota Restaurant opens at a new location in the city center
Sarasota Restaurant finally closed after six years of opening
Ticket newsletter: Sign up to receive restaurant news, reviews, and activity information every Friday.
“When you lose 40% of your revenue for five months of the year, it hurts — really hurts,” Woldman said. “That’s exactly what happened: When the Snowbirds left, we lost 40% of our revenue. When I took over the space, I wanted to hit a certain number every day, but we never really hit that number except for the first two weeks we were open.”
Meshugana Deli serves popular New York-style Jewish deli dishes, including “piled high” pastrami, corned beef, brisket and turkey sandwiches; sides like chicken matzo ball soup, cheese blintzes, noodle kugel, potato latkes and knish; sweets like black and white cookies and coconut macaroons; and bagels and breakfast sandwiches.
Since Meshugana, several Jewish delis have opened in Sarasota. Palm Avenue Deli opened downtown in the summer of 2023, next to Kojo and Bar Hana restaurants, all of which share the same ownership. Later that year, The Original Wolfie’s & Rascal House opened in Sarasota’s Rosemary District. Last month, Wolfie’s and Rascal House opened grab-and-go, takeout and delivery service from their new Lakewood Ranch bakery and canteen at 5318 Paylor Lane in Sarasota.
Meshugana Deli joins a list of recent restaurant closures in Sarasota-Manatee that includes former Gulf Gate neighbors Screaming Goat Taqueria, which closed last month after six years in business, and La Villa Mexican Grill, which closed in late July after two years in business on Longboat Key.
Email entertainment reporter Jimmy Geurts at [email protected]. Support local journalism by subscribing.
