Sarasota's beloved Shakespeare's Craft Beer and Gastro Pub is changing owners after more than two decades, but regulars can rest easy. The famous burgers aren't going anywhere.

Michael Calomeris, owner of Sarasota's 57 Tavern, is in the process of purchasing the restaurant on South Osprey Avenue from longtime owners Richard and Marilyn Neal, who announced their retirement on Friday, Oct. 16.

"My plan is to keep everything as is. The staff, the menu," Calomeris says. "The restaurant and the business is not broke. I don't need to fix it."

For anyone who remembers when Shakespeare's was one of the few places in town to find an adventurous craft beer selection, the pub's longevity is something worth celebrating. For many locals, Friday nights revolved around meeting friends at Shakespeare's, working through the pub's "Around the World in 80 Beers" challenge and eating burgers that had become a local obsession.

Chief among them was the caramelized onion and brie burger, a creation of Marilyn Neal's featuring an 8 oz. Angus patty, seasoned and seared, topped with creamy brie and onions slowly cooked in sweet balsamic vinegar, and tucked into a rosemary-scented bun.

The Neals developed their burger recipes while operating restaurants in Arizona before moving to Sarasota in 2003. Shakespeare's became a gathering place as much as a restaurant, with its cozy English pub atmosphere and expanding craft beer selection.

In addition to 57 Tavern, Calomeris previously owned the 8-Ball Lounge for about eight years before selling it in July. He discovered Shakespeare's was for sale through an advertisement. After reviewing its financial records, he decided to pursue the purchase.

He says the general manager and head cook will remain, and he intends to make the ownership transition as seamless as possible.

Although his Small Business Administration loan has been approved, the purchase hasn't closed. Calomeris expects that to happen within two to four weeks.

He admits he'd only visited Shakespeare's a couple of times before pursuing the purchase, but its appeal wasn't lost on him.

And while Sarasota's restaurant scene continues to reinvent itself, Calomeris has no such ambitions for Shakespeare's.

"It's a great atmosphere, and obviously the burgers are phenomenal," he says. "Who writes the checks is the only thing that's changing."