The Farm House
Imagine this: You’re interested in rustic custom furniture, so you make your way to a local store with a builder who also happens to be a longtime Sarasota resident. You get there, and believe it or not, along with the beautiful furniture on display the store also sells gourmet donuts. What a combination!
That’s exactly what you’ll find (and more) at The Farm House, with locations in Bradenton, Sarasota, and Clayton, Georgia.
The concept started three years ago, when Steven and Nancie Sheardown wanted to find a unique way to attract customers to see their custom-made tables and other furniture and décor made for their company, SDS Designs. Steven began building furniture in his teens, and he’s always had a passion for it, says Dylan Ogrizovich, manager of the Bradenton Farm House location.
The Sheardowns decided to lure people in with their colorful handcrafted donuts. The Bradenton location focuses on mini-cake and yeast donuts, while the Sarasota location sells both donuts and lunch items.
Walk into the Bradenton location in a historical area not far from downtown and you’ll feel like you’ve stepped into a farm house— just like the name implies. Order yourself a dozen mini donuts to enjoy on site or to go. Favorites include the Sweet Squealing Pig, with maple, bacon, and salt; the Cow Pattie, with chocolate, Reese’s cup, and peanut butter drizzle; and the Apple Pie, with glaze, graham cracker, apple filling, and whipped cream. You can also custom choose icing, topping, and drizzles. Kids are often fans of the Fancy Cowboy, with vanilla icing and Fruity Pebbles.
They also sell breakfast sandwiches, and the locally brewed cold brew coffee is popular at the Bradenton Farm House location. “It’s nice and strong,” Ogrizovich says. Another hit: the apple fritters, made by a local private baker. They sell out every day.
At the Sarasota location on Clark Road, which opened about two years ago, lunch items like wings and a chicken biscuit with sausage gravy make mouths water, in addition to the donuts. Just about everything except the fries is cooked fresh there, Ogrizovich says.
Customers are often surprised to find out that the custom farm tables, benches, and countertops are made by the owners and available for sale, Ogrizovich says.
Like many other restaurants, The Farm House has had some struggles due to the pandemic. There are fewer walk-in customers, and they had to shorten some of their hours. “We’ve seen things increase a little but we’re still not back to normal,” Ogrizovich says. “We hope people will come out and support our local businesses.”
If you’re worried about contact, just call The Farm House in advance with your order, and staff members can have it ready for you. All you have to do is pick up and enjoy the delectable donuts.
The Farm House:
902 Manatee Ave E, Bradenton; 941-713-5222
4001 Clark Rd, Sarasota; 941-376-1990;
thefarmhousedonutsanddecor.com
