Tasty Home Cookin: Sarasota restaurant closing after 36 years
Beloved diner to close after 36 years
For more than three decades Tasty Home Cooking has been a staple in Sarasota, but after 36 years the owner has decided to close. FOX 13’s Kimberly Kuizon reports.
SARASOTA, Fla - A legendary family restaurant landmark off Tuttle Avenue in Sarasota is shutting down after more than three decades of serving the community due to rising operational costs.
Sarasota restaurant landmark closing
What we know:
Tasty Home Cookin has been owned and operated by the same family for 36 years, providing generations of families with a welcoming atmosphere and affordable meals. Owner Shelly Timms made the heartbreaking decision to close because financial strains stemming from the pandemic combined with inflation became impossible to manage.
The diner will remain open until July 18, giving loyal patrons a final opportunity to visit. Over the decades, the establishment became famous for its reasonably priced home cooking. When the doors first opened, three of its signature tasty burgers cost just $1.29, a price that has since risen to $6.95.
Timms explained that she refused to raise prices any higher.
"I could raise my prices, and it might help a little bit, but I can’t justify selling a $20 burger here. I just can’t," Timms said.
The backstory:
The restaurant represents a deep personal legacy for the family. Timms and her husband, Bill, raised their children inside the business. Bill passed away in 2025, leaving behind a lasting impact on the Sarasota landmark.
Timms shared that keeping the doors open would require draining her personal finances with no hope of a return.
"My husband worked day and night. As much as he could. My husband and I raised two children here," Timms said, describing the closure as: "Very hard. Very emotional. Very difficult."
She added, "But since COVID happened, it’s pretty much wiped me out and the rising costs are just too much to bear."
Timms said she never imagined their doors would be closing.
"I would stay awhile longer. I would yes. I just can’t. When I have to put my own money into the business. I can’t. I’ll never get it back," Timms said.
Timms thanked the community for being part of their family, "Thank you for everything. Thank you for your support."
Loyal patrons share heartbreak
What they're saying:
Longtime customers expressed devastation over the loss of the Sarasota staple, which is where they watched their own families grow over the years. Regular customer Joe Holleran, who visited with his daughter, noted how deeply connected the community is to the family business.
"We had become very close to this restaurant over the years. Knew the kids when they were growing up. Now the kids have kids. It’s devastating. Plus the food is always great," Holleran said.
He added, "It’s very difficult for the common to go any place and get a reasonably priced meal anymore."
Another customer, Mark Beauchamp, stopped by the diner with his 39-year-old son to place the exact same order he first requested more than 20 years ago.
"He’s 39… and I was bringing him when he was probably 5 or 6 years," Beauchamp said.
Beauchamp ordered his long-time favorite from decades ago.
"Six baby burgers, french fries, and gravy to dip them in," he said.
He also ordered 18 tasty burgers to take home. He plans to freeze the large order to surprise his daughter when she visits from Georgia.
"It’s nostalgic. It just stinks," Beauchamp said.
Tasty Home Cookin' is located at 3854 South Tuttle Avenue. They will close their doors on Saturday, July 18.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered by FOX 13's Kimberly Kuizon from long-time customers and restaurant owner Shelly Timms, who explained the reasons behind the closure.