St. Armands Circle Welcomes A New Era With New Merchants, New Branding

January 8, 2021 – Sarasota

St. Armands Circle, Sarasota’s iconic shopping, dining, and services destination, is growing and reinvigorating, welcoming more than eight new merchants and introducing a refreshed brand in 2021.

The Circle is located on St. Armands Key just minutes from downtown Sarasota and accessible by the John Ringling Causeway. It is known for its unique merchants and casual, yet luxurious, open-air setting. 

Joining its nearly 140 existing establishments, new businesses include: Vernona Gourmet Market and Restaurant, Sea Bags, Butterfly Beach, Anna’s, Sea Glass Lane, Meaney’s Mini-Donuts & Coffee House, Arcade Monsters and The Whiskey Barrel.

“This is an exciting time for us, as well as our visitors,” said Diana Corrigan, executive director of the St. Armand’s Circle Association, “as we provide even more reasons to come to our tropical community.” 

The growth coincides with a major public relations campaign to introduce or re-introduce the Circle to new residents and long-time locals, those staying at nearby resorts and a broader Florida audience looking for daytrips or weekend excursions, while keeping it top of mind for its many international visitors. 

This campaign is an initiative of the St. Armands Circle Business Improvement District (BID), which works with the City of Sarasota to promote economic stability, growth and community life on the Circle through responsible planning, development, management, and coordination of programs, projects and services.

The BID retained Next-Mark, LLC, a full-service marketing agency based in downtown Sarasota, to refresh the Circle’s brand. Campaign elements include an updated website and advertising, a digital communications plan, refreshed social media program, banners reflecting a new look and feel, among many other initiatives that will be launched throughout 2021. Also to be introduced is a new digital destination newsletter, “Life on the Circle.” 

“The new branding reflects the vitality, history and singular qualities of St. Armands,” said BID Operations Manager Brandy Wiesner, alluding in part to the Circle’s beginnings as a vision of circus magnate Ringling more than 100 years ago.

“We say ‘there’s always something happening on the Circle’,” said Corrigan, “and it’s never been more true.”