In December 1923, six Amish men from Ohio traveled to Florida to hunt and fish. Weeks later, they returned home raving about one of the towns they visited: Sarasota. In the ensuing decades, several Amish families settled in the area, creating the neighborhood of Pinecraft, which is still a hub for Amish life and tourism. The Pinecraft Eat’n House, seen here in a photograph from 1951, was one of several businesses that sprang up on Bahia Vista Street to serve the growting community. J.B. and Ida Miller purchased it in 1957, and Ida did the bulk of the work operating it, selling cups of coffee for 9 cents and serving fish on Fridays,
fried chicken on Saturdays and custard and fruit pies pretty much any time. The couple sold the restaurant in 1968 to Christine Miller, who later opened the Blue
Gate Restaurant down the road. The Blue Gate would eventually become the Yoder’s that Sarasota diners know today.