On Feb. 20, Poonam Maini, the owner of Tandoor Fine Indian Cuisine, celebrated the grand opening of her restaurant’s new and expanded space at University Town Center. When a larger location became available just two doors down in the same shopping center, Maini jumped at the chance to grow the business. “We knew that we needed a bigger kitchen and were struggling with limited kitchen space and seating,” says Maini. Tandoor has occupied the same space since 2013, drawing in devotees of Indian food and converting countless guests who became fans of the cuisine after a meal at Tandoor. The new location seats 150 and has updated decor. “Our goal was to create an ambiance with a fresh look that feels familiar to our guests,” she says.

After living in an abusive marriage, Maini obtained a divorce in 2007 and was left with the Tandoor restaurant to provide for her family. Together with her children Shubi, Milan and Shamini, she ran the restaurant which became a Sarasota staple. “We did everything, from hosting, bussing and serving,” she adds “and the kids knew that we had to work seven days a week to make ends meet.”

Maini hails from the Punjab state in northern India, from which she moved to the United States. Her executive chef, Swaran Singh, is also from Punjab and was instrumental in growing the business. Maini learned to cook from her father, and when she hired Singh, the pair combined their recipes to create a menu showcasing authentic northern Indian flavors. “Fan favorites are the chicken tikka masala, the Tandoori chicken and garlic and butter naan that we bake in the restaurant,” Maini says. Many of the dishes offer vegetarian options, with spinach as a star ingredient. Great care goes into every dish, and in the coming months, Tandoor will roll out a monthly menu featuring food from other regions of India, with a special emphasis on the Bombay area, where several members of her team are from. “I want to thank all of my team; I could not have done this without them,” she says.

Maini’s connection to India has strengthened as Tandoor has grown. For each meal served at the restaurant, she provides a meal for people in the Punjab region as part of her Share Care Global initiative. “Tandoor is everything to me,” she adds, “and it makes me work harder and provide great food to the community because I know that it’s making a difference in people’s lives.”

Tandoor Fine Indian Cuisine, 8447 Copper Creek Blvd., Bradenton, tandoorsarasota.com. 

Pictured: Poonam Maini celebrates the grand opening of the new Tandoor location with her family and team. Photo by James C. Johnson.

The Hermitage Artist Retreat (Sarasota County, Florida) today announced the line-up of guest stars for its one-night-only benefit concert to celebrate the 20th Anniversary Season of the Hermitage and to raise funds for ongoing repairs to the Hermitage following the impact of Hurricane Ian earlier this season. The announced stars include Broadway veterans Jeannette Bayardelle, Laura Bell Bundy, Jay Armstrong Johnson, and Leslie Rodriguez Kritzer as well as a Hermitage alumna and Sarasota theater favorite Ann Morrison. In town for one night only on Monday, March 20th at 7:30pm, this incredible company joins Hermitage Artistic Director and CEO Andy Sandberg as he returns to his roots as a performer to sing a concert of Broadway songs at Sarasota’s iconic Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, with music direction by Hermitage Fellow and 2023 Grammy Award nominee Rona Siddiqui.

Pictured: Hermitage Artistic Director and CEO Andy Sandberg. Courtesy of The Hermitage Artist Retreat.

Sarasota County Sheriff Kurt A. Hoffman presented several awards for Life Saving on Thursday.Deputy Edward C. Hyde received the Life Saving Award for his actions while on official travel for the agency with Deputy Jeremy Barr. Sergeant Jesse V. Gieseke received the Life Saving Award for his quick action while off-duty and working out at a local gym. Sergeant James C. Darby and Deputy Gregory W. Norton received the Life Saving Award for responding to a call about an unconscious 38-year-old female suffering from a fentanyl overdose. 

Pictured: Deputy Edward C. Hyde, Sergeant Jesse V. Gieseke, Sergeant James C. Darby, and Deputy Gregory W. Norton pictured with Sheriff Kurt A. Hoffman. Courtesy of Sarasota County Sheriff Office.

ERES Companies (ERES) announced today that Chris DiBitetto has joined their team as Vice President and Managing Broker of its Florida office. He will be based out of the company’s new Sarasota, FL location. Chris brings a decade of brokerage experience to the ERES team, specializing in advisory services for high-profile corporate tenants, non-profit and trade associations, asset managers, fund advisors, and investment and ownership groups. DiBitetto will be responsible for growing ERES’s brokerage business with a focus on investment, industrial, and office deals. Most recently, Chris served in the Metro Washington DC region as an Associate Director at Newmark. He also formerly served as an Associate at Colliers International. Chris is also licensed in Virginia and the District of Columbia.Since ERES opened its doors on the Gulf Coast in August of 2022, it has quickly established roots, continuing to grow its Capital division (ERES Capital), launching a luxury condo development in downtown Sarasota as well as the planned Hilton Tempo Hotel in Downtown Ft. Myers. To learn more about ERES, its service lines, markets and capabilities visit www.erescompanies.com/about-us. 

For the third year in a row, Sarasota-based creative firm Purple Fish Creative has committed to enhancing its support of area nonprofit organizations via its annual charitable initiative, Project SRQ. The agency understands that many nonprofits deal with operational challenges, including restricted budgets and limited access to necessary resources. Each year, this program aims to help boost the development efforts of a 501(c)(3) charity organization in the greater
Sarasota/Manatee area by awarding a new website package. Each award will include: Free design of one new WordPress website, showcase of services and upcoming events, premium stock photography, ability to accept donations, other premium add-ons that extend the functions of the website. The only requirement by the selected organization is to maintain a web hosting agreement with the agency for a minimum of one year. “The goal is to expand opportunities for these organizations to acquire volunteers, attract donors, drive supporter engagement, and raise overall awareness more efficiently through a robust online platform. Project SRQ is our small way of giving back and paying it forward to the organizations making a difference in the community where we live and work,” says Sue Colao, the firm’s president and lead designer. Organizations are encouraged to apply for the 2023 Project SRQ award or nominate a nonprofit in need at www.purplefishcreative.com/project-srq. The application window is open from March 1 - June 30, 2023. 

Teen Court of Sarasota, recently received a $45,000 donation from Personalized Estate Liquidation Benefiting Youth, Inc. (PEL) to support our shared mission to help at-risk youth in Sarasota County. PEL selects organizations that support youth in need, particularly teens at-risk. Teen Court of Sarasota provides programs and services to young people worthy of a second chance to learn and grow from their mistakes. This is PEL’s fifth gift to Teen Court making, it a total of $220,000 donated. "PEL’s significant investment in Teen Court will support the notable 10% increase in referrals we have seen already this year. Generous donations like this allow our staff to address the needs of our clients without a financial burden or strain. Our clients receive a second chance and the tools to continue making law-abiding decisions thanks to empowering programs. Our healthy digital practices, substance abuse, and life skills groups will benefit from this donation. We are so grateful to PEL’s board and volunteers for their support of local youth” said Heather Todd, Executive Director. This $45,000 gift allows Teen Court to serve its clients their families without the worry of paying for it. 65% of those we serve on are on or below the poverty line, and 43% have indicated depression or anxiety. Over 700 youth were referred to our programs in 2022. We are most proud of our 90% success rate with our Substance Abuse Program (10% re-offense rate). 84% of our youth served have improved their grades since participating in the Teen Court programs, and 93% of parents have seen positive changes in their teen since participating in Teen Court. 

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