The Château Sarasota Has Opened on Siesta Drive
The bright coastal interior at The Chateau Sarasota.
Image: Buddy Foy Jr.
Husband and wife restaurateurs Buddy Foy Jr. and Jennifer Foy have opened the newest iteration of their restaurant concept The Château in Sarasota. The space was previously occupied by Roy’s Hawaiian Fusion and, more recently, Chef Rolf’s New Florida Kitchen.
The Foys' first Florida restaurant, The Château Anna Maria, opened in 2020 after the couple decided to expand their upstate New York restaurant concept, The Château on the Lake, to the Sunshine State.
The Château on the Lake, located on Lake George in Bolton Landing, New York, was the centerpiece of the Food Network show Summer Rush, which highlighted the pressures of operating successful restaurants in a seasonal town.
The chef's counter at The Chateau Sarasota.
Image: Buddy Foy Jr.
Jen and Buddy met while working for Calvin Klein in New York City, which Buddy credits as the inspiration behind their dedication to branding and having a focused point of view.
“We bought a property on Lake George, and the next thing you know we turned it into a restaurant. We wanted to do a high-end, cool, throwback restaurant and it grew from there,” he says.
The Château Sarasota quietly opened last week for friends, family and select VIPs before opening to the public this week.
Rabbit fricasée with truffled gnocchi at The Chateau Sarasota.
Image: Buddy Foy Jr.
The Sarasota menu features crowd favorites from the other Château restaurants, like the graham cracker calamari (Buddy’s favorite dish), a seafood tower and beef carpaccio. But the Foys and their executive chef Tyren Crain aim to introduce more traditional French dishes at this location, like rabbit fricasée, duck l’orange and Chilean sea bass with white bean Provençal. Buddy calls the dishes “approachable French food.”
“We want serious foodies to be able to walk in with someone who wants something more approachable, and they both leave happy,” he says.
Buddy and Jennifer Foy
Image: Buddy Foy Jr.
The Château Sarasota will be open for lunch and dinner Tuesday through Sunday, with brunch offerings on the weekend. Additionally, the Foys intend to offer monthly chef’s tastings for guests dining at the chef’s counter.
“I feel like we can fill a void in this location,” Buddy says. “I love going out in Sarasota and love the restaurants here. This is right where we want to be. We love the arts, the community and that, for as big as it gets, it still feels small.”
Fans of the Food Network show can continue to follow the Foys' journey on the couple's YouTube channel, FoyRush, which will document their foray into the Florida culinary landscape—and their passion for their restaurants.
“I love this business and we love people,” Buddy says. “We are obsessed with pleasing people.”
The Chateau Sarasota is open Tuesday-Friday from 12-11:30 p.m. and Saturday to Sunday from 11 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. at 2001 Siesta Dr., Sarasota. For more information call (941) 706-4093 or click here.
