When the pier lease expired in 1999, Horne chose not to
bid on it again and concentrated on Landside. In 2002, he
opened the Cortez location, and in 2003, he opened the Ellenton
location.
"One of the reasons I keep my value for the dollar
is that I go into second or third generation restaurants
where the owner has retired," he said. "It keeps
the overhead down. That’s a big key to it."
The lunch menu includes a wide variety of soups, appetizers,
salads, sandwiches, seafood specialties and daily business
lunch specialties. The dinner menu includes soups, appetizers
and salads; shellfish, fish and surf specialties; steamer
pots and pasta skillets; sandwiches and early bird specials.
Of course, seafood is king here with a choice of mussels,
clams, shrimp, crab, calamari, oysters, scallops, lobster,
grouper, salmon, catfish, tuna and orange roughy served
a host of ways.
"The menu is the same in all three restaurants, but
the decor, while tropical, is a little different in each
restaurant," Horne explained. "The clientele is
very similar in all three. We do a great lunch and a great
dinner but not much late night."
Horne said Landside is one of the most popular restaurants
for customers from Bradenton and Sarasota to meet because
it’s equidistant from both. In addition, it’s
easily accessible from downtown Bradenton.
Another point of pride, Horne said, is the fact that he’s
been able to keep the staff intact over the years.
"People get comfortable with a bartender or server,"
he said. "It’s nice to have a consistent face.
We get the right people in the right job."
Horne is also known for his generosity and his charity of
choice is the Anna Maria Island Community Center, where
he has been a board member for many years.
"I started umpiring at the Center in the early 1990s,"
he recalled. "I had a blast; I loved it. While I was
still umpiring, I became a board member. The Center is my
main focus for charitable activities. The money is going
to a good place."
In 2000, Horne started his annual golf tournament to benefit
the Center. The first year, it raised $12,000; this year’s
tournament raised $50,000.
"Every year, I offer it to the people that played the
last year, and it sells out every time," he said. "I
get a lot of help from my vendors. They supply us with food
and prizes. It’s obviously for a good cause and people
appreciate that. We try to give them a good time."
At Christmas, the employees collect gifts and toys for less
fortunate families, working through a local church.
"This year, we wanted to do something for the hurricane
victims, he said. "We collected toys, food, beds, blankets
and clothes for people in central Florida."
Horne said Sean Murphy, of the Beach Bistro and Mangrove
Grill, got him involved in the annual teacher appreciation
dinners that Murphy initiated several years ago. This year
the restaurant treated the teachers and support staff from
Seabreeze and Virgil Mills elementary schools to appetizers,
a buffet dinner and door prizes.
"They had a blast," he said. "This is our
second year doing it, and we plan to continue."
In addition, Horne donates the bar for the Center’s
annual auction, Affaire to Remember. He also participates
in the local blood bank’s twice yearly blood drives.
Blood donors get a free T-shirt and lunch at one of the
restaurants.
Name: Anna Maria Oyster Bar
Owner: John Horne
Address: 6696 Cortez Road and 6906 U.S. 41 in Bradenton
and 1525 51st Ave. E. in Ellenton
Phone: 792-0077 (Cortez), 758-7880 (U.S. 41) and
721-7773 (Ellenton)
