Nancy’s Bar-B-Q is moving from Lakewood Ranch back to downtown Sarasota

Nancy Krohngold, who launched her barbecue business in 2011 in downtown Sarasota before moving Nancy’s Bar-B-Q to Lakewood Ranch in 2016, is returning to Sarasota.

Since 2019, Nancy’s Bar-B-Q has been serving platters at 14475 State Road 70 E., Lakewood Ranch, also known as Lorraine Corners.

“We couldn’t reach an agreement to extend our lease,” Krohngold said Tuesday of the return to Sarasota. “In business you can’t sit around, and I still have a loyal following down there.”

Krohngold announced the change on the Nancy’s Bar-B-Q Facebook page.

“Our last day of business at our Lorraine Corners Lakewood Ranch store will be Saturday, July 8, and we expect to open our doors downtown the week after that at 1525 Fourth Street, in the Rosemary District, next door to Food+Beer and across from Station 400 Sarasota,” she said in the post.

On Tuesday, Krohngold seemed upbeat about the move.

“I have a new burst of enthusiasm and energy,” she said.

Krohngold came to the world of North Carolina-style barbecue about 20 years ago, intrigued by a story she read in The New York Times.

After a few years of experimenting, she started a barbecue catering business. When the Great Recession of 2008 hit, her work as a graphic artists dried up and she opened the original Nancy’s in Sarasota.

“If it’s about barbecue, people will share a table, regardless of who they are,” Krohngold previously said.

It was unclear what might take over the Lorraine Crossings restaurant space, although First Watch has been rumored as the next tenant.

In response to an inquiry from the Bradenton Herald, First Watch released a statement on Tuesday:

“We have been looking into new sites in Bradenton, and love the community and hope to grow there, but have not executed any leases in the area and therefore have no new sites to announce at this time.

“For more than 35 years, First Watch has had the distinct privilege of calling the Suncoast our home. We’ve led our operations out of Manatee and Sarasota counties since we moved to Florida in 1986, when we opened our first Sunshine State restaurant on South Tamiami Trail, which still serves the local community seven days a week.

“Ever since our founders made the decision to relocate here, this vibrant community has not only welcomed us with open arms but embraced us as their go-to brunch destination. We look forward to continuing to call this area home and bring more of our neighbors around the table for years to come.”