As of early October 2026, every Phase II business you can walk into in Downtown Wellen is a shop, a salon or a studio. None of the four new restaurants is serving yet. Phase II added about 44,000 square feet along Wellen Park Blvd., and the order it opened in shapes this fall. During the day you have new places to shop and work out. In the evening you're still eating at the same three kitchens and following the same calendar you had a year ago.
In May, Town Chronicle reported that the whole second phase would open over spring and summer. Almost every restaurant on that list carried a "Summer 2026" date. Sarasota Magazine's September roundup of new south county restaurants found that none of them had a firm opening day. Retail moved faster.
What has opened since May
Seaside & Co. opened first. Its owners told SRQ Daily the shop opened in May at 19835 Wellen Park Blvd., Unit 7108. It sells coastal clothing and home décor and has a wine bar and lounge called Gather. Owner Keelie Bloom also runs Seaside Chic Boutique in Venice and Beach Daisy on Sanibel, and a partnership with the wine brand DiBacco supplies the Gather bar. Until the restaurants open, Gather is the only new place in Phase II where you can sit down with a glass of wine.
Two doors down at Suite 7105, Hudson Square Boutique held its grand opening in early June. SRQ Daily reported it on June 15 as "just over a week" earlier. Founder Danielle MacConel lives in Wellen Park. She opened her first boutique in Hopewell Junction, New York, in 2019, and her racks carry resort wear from brands such as Z SUPPLY and Kut from the Kloth.
James Griffith Salon is open, and its own site calls the Wellen Park location "only recently opened." It already lists hours and online booking. Englewood locals Christine and James Griffith have run the business on the Gulf Coast for more than 30 years.
Club Pilates, at 19830 Wellen Park Blvd., announced a September 17 soft opening. Its booking page now lists classes for October 5. Co-owner Peter Kilkullin told Town Chronicle the studio focuses on steady progress rather than intensity.
Four of these businesses had their doors open by October. Wellen Park President Rick Severance has pointed to who is behind some of them. "We actually have a number of tenants who are residents," he told SRQ Magazine in September.
The kitchens still waiting on a date
| Business | What it will be | Address | Date given in May | Status as of early October |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Agave Bandido | Mexican restaurant and tequila bar | 19830 Wellen Park Blvd., Suite 6108 | Summer 2026 | Wellen Park expects fall; no exact date |
| Grain & Berry | Açaí bowls, smoothies, toasts | 6106 Wellen Park Blvd. | Summer 2026 | October 2026 planned; no exact date |
| Easy Does It Comfort Kitchen | Smashburgers and loaded tots | 19830 Wellen Park Blvd. | Summer 2026 | No date announced |
| La Maison | French pâtisserie | 7101 Wellen Park Blvd. | Summer 2026 | No date announced |
| Woof Gang Bakery & Grooming | Pet bakery and grooming | 19835 Wellen Park Blvd., Suite 7107 | Summer 2026 | "Coming soon" on its own page |
Each of these is a known name with a track record. Agave Bandido is already familiar to diners in Lakewood Ranch. Town Chronicle reported that Wellen Park will be its fifth location and fourth in Florida, and that Grain & Berry, a regional chain, has more than 30 locations, most of them in Florida. Easy Does It will be the third restaurant for chef Spiros Stogiannis. He plans to serve smashburgers, sandwiches, salads and oversized "monstah" tater tots meant for sharing. La Maison comes from Darel and Stephanie Albin, the family behind Sassy Tarts Bakery, Nico B's and The Hideaway in Englewood. They plan breads, croissants, quiches and other sweet and savory dishes throughout the day.
Grain & Berry is the closest to opening. The October 2026 target is the only month any of the four has been given, and October started four days ago. For the other three, the latest public word is "fall" or nothing at all. Agave Bandido's own location page says it will share the opening date as soon as one is set.
The biggest project downtown has a much longer timeline. Construction began in January on Wellmar, a five-story Tribute Portfolio Hotel by Marriott with 149 rooms and a 3,200-square-foot event space. Town Chronicle reported in May that it is expected to open in early 2028.
Who's cooking in the meantime
Until those signs come down, dinner in Downtown Wellen comes from the first phase. Wellen Park describes The Banyan House as having indoor and outdoor seating and lakefront sunset dining. Oak & Stone serves artisan pizza, scratch-made wings and handhelds. Acqua Pazza handles coastal Italian. SRQ Daily listed all three in August as the downtown restaurants supplying food for this year's Wine Festival. The Phase II restaurants missed that lineup because they weren't open in time to be part of it.
The fall calendar, sorted by when you can actually go
The events calendar is what fills Downtown Wellen in the evenings, and most of it is already set through New Year's Eve. These dates come from the Wellen Park events calendar and the CoolToday Park 2026 events page.
Every week
- Fresh Harvest Farmers Market, Sundays, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., in Downtown Wellen.
- Friday Night Live, Fridays, 6 to 9 p.m., with bands on the Solis Hall stage.
Every month
- Night Market, on the second Thursday, at 19745 Wellen Park Blvd. The October edition is Thursday, October 8, 6 to 9 p.m., with Dueling Pianos. By that same rule, the next two fall on November 12 and December 10.
Specific dates
- Night of Worship Concert, Friday, October 23, 7 p.m.
- Wellen Park Spooktacular, Friday, October 30, 4 to 7 p.m., with trick-or-treating, music and costumes.
- Wellen Park Wine Festival, Saturday, November 14, 1 to 4 p.m., with tastings from more than 40 vintners. A ticket popup elsewhere on the site mentions November 13 and 14, so check the final schedule before you buy.
- Fine Art Festival, November 21 and 22, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days, free admission.
- Sixth annual Grilled Cheese Festival at CoolToday Park, also Saturday, November 21, starting at 11 a.m., with food trucks, live music and craft beer. Because it falls on the art festival's first day, you can go to both on the same trip.
- Braves Beer Run at CoolToday Park, Friday, December 4, 6 p.m., the same night as Wellen Wonderland downtown, which includes Santa, live music and a tree lighting.
- Saturday, December 5 has three events: the Braves Tomahawk 5K at 7:30 a.m., then the Glow Bike Ride at 6:30 p.m., which overlaps with Holiday Dueling Pianos on the Solis Hall stage from 6 to 9 p.m.
- Chanukah Concert, Wednesday, December 9, 5 p.m., with a menorah lighting.
- Jingle Jam at CoolToday Park, Saturday, December 12, with a holiday market, Merry & Bright Night and a golf-cart parade. The park lists the market as starting at 9 a.m. on one page and 10 a.m. on another.
- New Year's Eve Concert with Crossfire Creek, Thursday, December 31, 7 to 10 p.m.
The November 12 Night Market is the first event on this list where Grain & Berry could realistically be open next door, since October is its only announced target. The December dates come after the fall window Wellen Park gave Agave Bandido.
The second phase was announced as a single expansion, but it has been opening in stages. If you'd like to know what the new Downtown Wellen businesses could mean for your street or your plans, I'm happy to talk it through. Jill Baldwin keeps up with what's opening around Wellen Park so you don't have to piece it together yourself. Let's Connect.
