- January 18, 2025
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Mat Baum, president of Wolverine Management, thinks there’s been some confusion about his latest venture Backyard Social, which is planned for a 10-acre site off Professional Parkway, near Interstate 75.
Baum and business partner, John Mann, are seeking a special exception to operate past what Sarasota County’s Unified Development Code allows. Some neighbors have complained that granting the exception will negatively impact the Waterside community.
“We could stay open until 2 a.m. every night already,” Baum said. “The special exception here is for the use of live entertainment past 10 o’clock and outdoor dining, so I think that’s where some of the confusion comes in.”
Sarasota County Planning and Development Services confirmed that Baum is correct with one caveat about the building's design. An email from the department provided further explanation.
“What makes this proposed development unique is its business model of using food trucks parked next to the building and using bay and/or large doors to order food from them. Due to the bay/large open doors, this would constitute the structure as outdoor, since the indoor noise cannot be ‘contained.’ Indoor entertainment is allowed only if a structure is fully enclosed with closed windows.”
Just before the commission meeting on Jan. 15, outdoor entertainment past 10 p.m. was removed from the request, but it wasn’t enough to persuade Sarasota County commissioners to grant the remaining exceptions for indoor entertainment and outdoor dining.
However, the final vote is yet to come.
Baum’s team requested a continuance after commissioners Teresa Mast, Tom Knight, Mark Smith and Ron Cutsinger all stated they would not vote in favor of the special exception.
Stanley Morrow, member of the Waterside Neighborhood Alliance, was disappointed by “the eleventh hour” continuance.
“It’s not just about music,” Morrow said. “It’s about changing the nature of the community. What goes on at 7 p.m. at a bar is a lot different than what goes on at midnight.”
The alliance pulled police reports from Backyard Social’s Fort Myers location to prove its point that granting the exception could alter the peaceful atmosphere of Waterside neighborhoods.
Member Jacob Goodwin read excerpts of the reports to commissioners that ranged from loud yelling to a physical fight.
Baum said most of those complaints were filed in or around October 2023 when Backyard Social first opened. He described the initial influx of visitors as “overwhelming,” but said things have normalized since.
He added that the Sarasota location might not warrant hours until 2 a.m.
Baum is a co-owner of Agave Bandido at Waterside Place. Initially, the restaurant closed at 2 a.m. on Friday and Saturday nights. Now, it closes at 1 a.m.
"The market kind of dictates it," Baum said. "There's a high percentage chance that we end up closing at midnight on Fridays and Saturdays."
The big difference Baum sees between the Sarasota and Fort Myers locations is Florida Gulf Coast University, which is close by the property in Fort Myers. That location gets a late night college crowd that Lakewood Ranch doesn't have.
Goodwin recommended Backyard Social operate for one year to prove they can control the noise and crowd, then apply for the special exception.
Commissioner Mast agreed.
“You’re welcome to come and see after a year, once we have some baseline, and discuss it then,” Mast said. “But I will always try very much to err on the side of if I were that neighbor. With 2 a.m., I think I might be a little bit unhappy about it after I’ve made a significant investment (in a home).”
At over $6 million, Baum said Wolverine's investment is too large to wait and see.
Baum has opened 13 other restaurants and has never faced this kind of opposition.
“We’re a sought after brand in terms of developers calling us, asking us to go into their developments,” Baum said. “It’s disheartening that it’s a very select few people, that I understand their concerns because it’s unknown, but there are way more people that are in support of it.”
One of those people is developer Pat Neal. After visiting the Fort Myers location, Neal told the Observer that he thought Backyard Social would be an amenity for Lakewood Ranch residents.
Lakewood Ranch resident A.J. Freda, 41, wrote a letter to commissioners saying he’s sick of having to leave the area for recreational activities.
When the proposal went before the Planning Commission on Nov. 7, the board recommended the exception in a 6-2 vote.
Baum said he hopes to bring the proposal back to commissioners in March. The focus will be on the outdoor dining hours, as opposed to entertainment.
