Longboat Key fine dining institution Euphemia Haye closed

Euphemia Haye, a 50-year staple of Longboat Key’s fine dining scene, is closed. 

Residents and fans of the Longboat Key staple began noticing unusual activity with the restaurant’s reservations around the week of April 21. 

“We are closed this evening. We apologize for any inconvenience,” a sign on the door reads. The restaurant’s phone rings several times before going to voicemail.

Photo by Dana Kampa

Amid rumors of the restaurant’s closing, the Observer reached out to current owner, Amy Whitt, but did not receive a reply to numerous phone calls. 

Two other restaurant owners on Longboat Key confirmed that Euphemia Haye Restaurant & The Haye Loft shut its doors. 

Ray Arpke, who formerly owned the restaurant, could not disclose many details but said he also heard the same. 

“That’s what I was told,” Arpke said when asked about Euphemia Haye closing. 

The restaurant’s closing was abrupt, according to a GoFundMe page created by Teal O’Fee, a former employee. 

“We should be celebrating a wonderful 50-year history,” O’Fee’s page says. “Instead, our restaurant is closing suddenly…We are heartbroken. We love the restaurant. We love our coworkers.”

According to Euphemia Haye’s website, the restaurant was first established by Les Buntin in 1975 to create a warm, high-quality dining experience. That level of service continued through the years as Arpke and his wife, D'Arcy, acquired the restaurant in 1980. 

Euphemia Haye had become a staple of fine dining on Longboat Key and the Sarasota area, serving popular dishes like the “Key West Snapper” and roast duckling.

The Haye Loft was added to the restaurant in 1992 and was designed as a more festive lounge for up to 30 people with a bar and light bites. Overall, the restaurant expanded six times over the years as it went from 28 seats to 150.

Whitt purchased Euphemia Haye in December 2022 for an undisclosed amount from the former owners, the Arpkes. 

Whitt started working at the restaurant as an administrative assistant in 2007 and worked her way up to bookkeeper before purchasing the restaurant and assuming ownership.