Gecko's co-founder to be named Florida Restaurateur of the Year

A nonprofit trade association dedicated to Florida’s hospitality industry plans to recognize a Sarasota entrepreneur as its 2025 Restaurateur of the Year.

The Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association will honor Mike Quillen with the award this month and induct him into the FRLA Hall of Fame. Quillen co-founded Gecko’s Grill & Pub in 1992 and has since launched multiple hospitality groups that combined employ more than 800 workers.

The FRLA Hall of Fame Awards honor top hospitality industry professionals who provide “exceptional service” and are “recognized for their profound impact and philanthropic endeavors,” FRLA President and CEO Carol Dover says.

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“You are the perfect addition to the FRLA Hall of Fame as you embodied these principles throughout your life and career,” Dover says in a letter informing Quillen of his recognition.

Quillen, who was named a Business Observer Top Entrepreneur in 2024, is at the helm of Gecko’s Hospitality Group, which includes 10 restaurants from Bradenton to Venice. In 2020, he started Watershed Hospitality Concepts, which encompasses four Sarasota restaurants. He also in 2023 founded Cashiers Restaurant Holdings, which owns a pub in North Carolina.

In a 2024 Business Observer interview, Quillen said the best advice he had been given was to “show up and be as involved as you can in your community.” 

Over the years, Gecko’s Hospitality Group has supported “hundreds of nonprofits, charitable events and community endeavors,” according to its website, which says it has concentrated its community giving efforts on schools in Sarasota and Manatee counties.

Quillen will be presented with the 2025 Restaurateur of the Year Award at the FRLA Hospitality Stars of the Industry Gala on Oct. 21 at the Henderson Beach Resort in Destin.

The FRLA’s 2024 Restaurateur of the Year was Horace Dawson, the retired CEO of Red Lobster.

With more than 10,000 members, ranging from independent hoteliers and restaurateurs to franchises and theme parks, the FRLA says its mission is to promote Florida’s $117.7 billion hospitality industry that employs 2 million.