Whitney's accepts Good Neighbor Award from LBK North

With the rustling palms and soft music that now fills the space, it’s hard to imagine that just a couple years ago, there was an abandoned eyesore of a  gas station where Whitney’s now stands proudly welcoming visitors to the north end of Longboat Key. 

“(My business partner and I) said we wanted to make it half as good as the original renderings,” owner James Brearley said. “Now we look at the renderings and say, ‘We think it’s better.’” 

Residents of the north end, organized in the LBK North group, decided to recognize the beautification with the Good Neighbor Award. Laurel Phillips, one of the leaders of LBK North, presented the award to Brearley on April 22. 

“It was not a very pretty sight and the vision and the chutzpah, if you will, of the owners to bring something as charming and useful as this to people on Longboat Key, and we just want to thank them,” Phillips said. “So this is the first year of having a Good Neighbor Award.”

Other north end neighbors came to the restaurant to see the award and get a bite to eat. New District 5 Commissioner Maureen Merrigan made an announcement to others seated at the outdoor tables to let them know they were witnessing a special occasion, and all of Whitney’s staff came out of the kitchen to accept the award, too. Brearley made sure to pass it around to his whole team. 

“It would not be fair for me to get to be the one that holds this because our team, from top to bottom, from the kitchen to the bar ... We're out-of-control grateful to have them and ... we just get such great feedback and so that's kind of where the rubber meets the road,” Brearley said. “If we say we're a good neighbor, but the staff is not part of the community, it doesn't work.”

North end resident Pat Kaufman said she appreciated what the restaurant has done to beautify the north end, making it a more welcoming sight when traveling south onto Longboat Key. And of course, many residents appreciate the food and drinks, too.

“They have delivered on their promise that it would be a community enhancement,” Phillips said. 

Merrigan said she hopes the award becomes annual. It was borne out of a comment former commissioner Ed Zunz made — he said Whitney’s had done such a wonderful thing in transforming the gas station, they should get an award. The LBK North group followed up.