The Original Hob Nob Drive-In reopens in Sarasota

A Sarasota staple has returned after a nearly two-year closure. The Original Hob Nob Drive-In at 1701 N. Washington Blvd. has reopened under new ownership.

Entrepreneur Troy King, who renovated the restaurant through his construction company, is the new owner. His stepson Dimitri Syros, who co-founded local restaurant chain The Breakfast Company, is a minority partner in the venture.

Since the Hob Nob opened on April 21, “the response has been resoundingly positive!” King and Syros say in an email. “We are very pleased with our team's ability to meet the high volume and consistently put out high-quality food with rapid turnaround time.”

A team of 20 staff has been serving up customers, King and Syros say.

On the menu are burgers, fries, onion rings, chicken sandwiches, chicken tenders, a hot dog and milkshakes.

In the future, The Original Hob Nob Drive-In plans to offer online ordering.

“We are focused on meeting walk-in demand for the time being. Once the opening rush levels out, we will begin taking online orders,” the owners say in an April 24 email.

“We believe online ordering is an important part of serving our guests who live and work nearby and may be dining with us in a tight window like their lunch break or daily commute,” King and Syros say. “We want folks to be able to save time by ordering online.”

The plan is to partner with third-party delivery services as well.

King and Syros are moving the iconic brand — which has been around nearly 70 years — into the future while preserving what the community has cherished from its past. The eatery's red, black and white color scheme and open-air format, for example, have been retained.

“We have loved hearing how much this brand means to the local community, and have had so much fun listening to everyone's Hob Nob Stories,” King and Syros say.

The Hob Nob first opened in 1957. King, who grew up in Sarasota eating at the Hob Nob, later took his children there. The business closed in 2024, when previous owner Cary Spicuzza retired.

Citing the need to protect a local landmark, King announced his plans to take over the restaurant in January, with the goal of reopening in the spring. He had learned about the opportunity to bring the brand forward while he was working on renovations at the business through his construction and remodeling company, King & Sons LLC. The Karras family, which owns the property at 1701 N. Washington Blvd., leased it to King.

“We are extremely proud to be doing this with our team of friends and family,” King and Syros say of reopening the Hob Nob. “We appreciate the community's patience and understanding as we learn this new concept, especially around parking.”

There are around a dozen parking spaces at The Original Hob Nob Drive-In. Hours are 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday. The restaurant is closed on Sundays.