Ocean Prime is ready to open at The Quay

Prominent national restaurateur Cameron Mitchell says he broke a big unwritten industry rule in building Ocean Prime in Sarasota, his new high-end steak, seafood and sushi restaurant.

“Typically a restaurateur would think of themselves as crazy, building a restaurant where we are here — you can't see it from the road,” says Mitchell, the founder and CEO of Cameron Mitchell Restaurants, which operates nearly 50 restaurants nationwide. “But it's such a great location.”

Ocean Prime Sarasota is one of four establishments Mitchell's company is opening in Florida before the end of 2025. Despite challenges from labor costs and inflation, he is "very optimistic" about the future of the business, particularly in the Sunshine State. 

Mitchell recently spoke with the Business Observer about a host of topics, including the company's Florida strategy and the state of the industry. 

Mitchell describes the rule-breaking location in The Quay in Sarasota as “ground zero,” within walking distance of downtown and a short drive from Lido, Bird, Longboat and Siesta keys. He says he specifically worked with a broker to get a space there so he could build. (The Quay is a long-anticipated mixed-use project on the Sarasota Bay, with plans dating back in some form more than a decade.) 

The Ocean Prime at The Quay is scheduled to open Dec. 21 — a milestone Mitchell says he is looking forward to for several reasons.

“Sarasota is like a second home,” says Mitchell, who has owned a beach house on Siesta Key for 20 years. He lives in Columbus, Ohio, where his company is headquartered. “I love Sarasota. So to build Ocean Prime and finally get the opportunity to do it … at The Quay, … I'm excited about it.”

On the menu are steaks from filet mignon to Wagyu with options such as a blue-cheese crust, black truffle butter or Oscar style as well as seafood like teriyaki salmon in soy butter sauce and sea scallops in a citrus vinaigrette with parmesan risotto.

“When I look at the Ocean Prime brand and this restaurant, there is nothing like it in Sarasota,” Mitchell says. “The cost we put into it, the finishes, everything, the menu and so forth.”

Sarasota’s Ocean Prime cost $10 million to construct. It spans 9,500 square feet in a brand-new building wrapping up construction along Quay Commons. Near The Ritz-Carlton Residences, the two-story restaurant will feature waterfront views with terraces on each floor and include more than 350 seats, two bars and two private dining rooms.

Ocean Prime Sarasota will mark the 19th location for the brand nationwide and the fourth in Florida; the others are in Orlando, Naples and Tampa. 

“It's our horse; it's our national brand,” Mitchell says of Ocean Prime, which has a presence nationwide, from Beverly Hills to New York City. 

The market on the Gulf Coast appears to be eating up the Ocean Prime concept, based on the performance of already existing restaurants. Ocean Prime in Tampa, says Mitchell, is the top restaurant in sales volume across the Cameron Mitchell Restaurants portfolio. (The company, in total, he says, does “a little under $500 million” a year in revenue.) Plus, he adds: “Our Ocean Prime in Naples does phenomenally well.”

This article originally appeared on sister site BusinessObserverFL.com.