MANATEE COUNTY, Fla. -- A new restaurant will be coming to Main Street at Lakewood Ranch. 

The restaurant called GROVE will fill the vacancy at 10670 Boardwalk Loop, where the Polo Bar and Grill was located. 

Owners of PIER 22, Hugh Miller and Greg Campbell, have finalized a long-term lease agreement with LWR Main Street LLC. 

President of Lakewood Ranch Commercial Realty, Kirk Boylston said that “We are extremely pleased to have Hugh and Greg take over this significant piece of Main Street. We're all very excited to hear their plans for improving the building and the ballroom. We’re especially happy to know that the ballroom will remain in place to serve as a gathering space for our community's residents and businesses and we greatly look forward to the opening of Grove."

The team at GROVE promises to offer wholesome gourmet meals including scratch-made entrees, culinary cocktails and savory desserts.

"We're committed to using quality fresh ingredients and innovative cooking methods to inspire, nourish and wholly satisfy our guests," Campbell said. 

Campbell described his approach to food and drink as "...focused on sourcing only the finest ingredients and then finding inventive ways to draw out those flavors," and he says he's "stoked" about the new restaurant's proximity to “Florida farming country.”

Separate menus are in the works for lunch, dinner, happy hour, late night, and Sunday Brunch. 

"At GROVE, we'll be riffing on the idea that dining out should be a means to positive well-being. We want guests to leave the restaurant with a smile on their face and feeling even better than when they first arrived," Campbell said. 

The property is set to receive a complete gutting and a multi-million dollar renovation. Improvements to the building include a total redo of the restaurant, which will feature comfortable dining spaces. A remodel and upgrade of the 350 seat ballroom along with sections of the lounge, private party and meeting areas and major portions of the outdoor patio areas have also started.  

Miller said, "With these changes, we're creating an entirely different ambiance. One that embodies an elevated and modern ranch-town vibe and that really fits the diverse market we’ll serve." He revealed that the atmosphere would be "sophisticated yet inviting" and "casually elegant with a modern touch." 

Tables in the dining room and patio areas alone are expected to seat over 350 guests. Included in that number are the three private dining areas which can be configured to serve 20, 40, or 60 people while a separate count for the ballroom space brings the entire building's seating capacity to 750 guests.

Campbell and Miller said the team behind GROVE is determined to stay away from the trappings of chain restaurant mentality and instead carry on a local, independent business model.

"With GROVE being an independent restaurant we don't have to pursue one-size fits all solutions, and we're better equipped to respond to the desires of our community," Campbell said. 

Owners of PIER 22, Hugh Miller and Greg Campbell, have finalized a long-term lease agreement with LWR Main Street LLC to open a new restaurant called GROVE.
Owners of PIER 22, Hugh Miller and Greg Campbell, have finalized a long-term lease agreement with LWR Main Street LLC to open a new restaurant called GROVE.