Lazy Lobster of Longboat Key gets a makeover

The restaurant recently finished renovations providing a coastal, modern atmosphere for customers to enjoy a nice dinner out.

By Petra Rivera
| 9:00 a.m. November 28, 2023

Arts + Entertainment
Eat + Drink

Lazy Lobster has gotten a makeover.

After more than three months, renovations at the iconic Longboat Key restaurant are finally complete, and the staff couldn't be more excited.

Catherine Garey, wife to co-proprietor Michael Garey, led the project.

“Two years ago is when Catherine first approached me,” said Michael Garey. “She said, ‘The space was looking tired. There was too much wear and tear.’ We also needed to update it and make it look more contemporary, more modern, more coastal. And easier to maintain.”

The newly renovated private dining room of the Lazy Lobster — The newly renovated private dining room of Lazy Lobster

Catherine Garey took it into her hands to make the schedule and the plans for the renovations. Those plans included removing the carpet and replacing the floors with vinyl plank flooring to maintain consistency throughout the restaurant and make it more accessible.

The renovations also added treatments to the lower half of the walls, and the colors of the ceiling and the floor were switched to lighten the floors and brighten the space. The bar received a complete makeover with new lights, new barstools, and three-dimensional panels with a wave design. Catherine Garey said that the bar is now a more welcoming place for people to sit and eat, and it's easier for the restaurant to maintain.

The restaurant's wine storage was updated as well with wine bins and racks to be more organized and more efficient. The famous fish tank also got a face lift with a new tank to complement the modern look.

The newly renovated bar of the Lazy Lobster — The newly renovated bar of Lazy Lobster

Renovations were done by Chad Salvino with Handy Chad. Gabriel Garcia, an employee at Lazy Lobster, also was Salvino’s partner in the project. The two were closely involved in the renovations. Catherine Garey said their dedication and expert craftsmanship made all the difference.

‘We're very happy with it,” said Catherine Garey. “We had the usual setbacks and hiccups just like anybody else has, when they get into remodeling. But overall, we're extremely happy with the work. Everyone's been very positive about all the changes we've made. Customers were always so excited following the project through the past couple of months.”

author

Petra Rivera

Petra Rivera is the Longboat community reporter. She holds a bachelor’s degree of journalism with an emphasis on reporting and writing from the University of Missouri. Previously, she was a food and drink writer for Vox magazine as well as a reporter for the Columbia Missourian.