Dimitri Syros grew up eating at the Hob Nob, the black-and-white checkerboard drive-in that had been a downtown Sarasota fixture since 1957, so when contractor Troy King -- doing renovation work for the building's owners -- heard the space was coming up for lease, the two moved fast. Syros already runs The Breakfast Company, the fast-growing chain he and his family built out of a small COVID-era space near State Road 70; King, married to Syros's aunt, had built out that original location as a contractor before ever running a restaurant himself. Announcing the Hob Nob revival brought roughly 600,000 views on a single platform and a wave of calls, including one local radio station that put out an on-air request for anyone who knew who was reopening it.
Old Menu, New Kitchen, and a Landlord Who Isn't Helping
The pair are gutting and rebuilding the space -- new bathroom, new tables and chairs, no more waitstaff -- while keeping the checkerboard look and pulling the menu back to something close to its 1957 drive-in roots: burgers, fries, hot dogs, shakes, onion rings, deliberately skipping breakfast items since The Breakfast Company already covers that ground. The relationship with the property's owner, who ran the Hob Nob himself since 1991 before retiring, has cooled since the lease was signed; he's fenced off much of the surrounding lot, cutting available parking down to about 12 spaces, and has been unwilling to negotiate for more despite repeated conversations.
The Breakfast Company itself has grown from one location to five, with two more opening by summer for a total of seven, and a staff heading toward 200 people once everything is running. Syros credits that growth partly to systems built like, in his words, a science -- consistent recipes and training across locations -- and partly to family: King describes bringing back former managers who'd left for other jobs specifically to help staff the Hob Nob relaunch. The family's next project, El Greco, revives Syros's grandfather's original Sarasota Greek restaurant, closed since 2007, with a fast-casual location planned for Clark Road.
A Roundabout Verdict and Two Recommendations
Asked about the roundabouts near the Westin downtown, King doesn't hold back, calling them a disaster even for a confident driver, and says he avoids them on his daily route down Honore Avenue when he can -- though he concedes they help traffic move during storms. Syros and King close by recommending Andre at Apex, a well-known local barber, and custom motorcycle builder Corey Souza of Souza Originals as future guests.
What you'll take away
- News of the Hob Nob's revival drew roughly 600,000 views on a single platform and a wave of unsolicited local media attention
- The new menu strips back to 1957 drive-in basics -- burgers, fries, hot dogs and shakes -- deliberately skipping breakfast items
- The building's former owner has fenced off surrounding lot space, cutting the Hob Nob's available parking to about 12 spaces
- The Breakfast Company has grown from one location to five, with two more opening by summer and a staff approaching 200
- The family's next project revives El Greco, the original Sarasota Greek restaurant run by Dimitri Syros's grandfather from 1990 to 2007
“It shows you that it was loved. It was well loved.”
“The opportunity presents itself and it's maybe sometimes undeniable. Like Hob Nob -- it's like, yeah, we got to do this now.”
Places mentioned: Downtown Sarasota, Honore Avenue, Clark Road, Lakewood Ranch, UTC