Sarasota's Old Heidelberg Castle Remembered

SARASOTA – Local restaurant brands are fickle, particularly the local concept restaurant. The concept restaurant was a relic of the 1960s and 70s, an idea that a diner not only needed food, but a unique atmosphere to make it an experience. In tourist areas, the concept restaurant has a particular viability, as people are visiting from elsewhere, and seeking something entirely unique.

Every city had one. National chains offered concepts as well; Victoria Station was all about trains, for instance.

One such place in Sarasota, Florida was the Old Heidelberg Castle. Located at a key downtown corner on Route 301, it was basically an Oktoberfest each night, with trampoline in the middle. The history of the restaurant has come back on the radio station WSRZ 107.9 this week, as the station posted a video and Facebook post about the restaurant, and began taking calls on it. The I Heart Media radio station WSRZ 106,9, and their morning show Jones & Co, has taken on the cause of nostalgia, and asking if the restaurant could be brought back, just for one night.

Below, the post about it.

Here, the old commercial posted to Youtube that sort of got things going. It features the trampoline.

Author

Garland Pollard

J. Garland Pollard IV is editor/publisher of BrandlandUSA. Since 2006, the website BrandlandUSA.com has chronicled the history and business of America’s great brands.

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