About the Owners

Jeff and Melanie Gambino are originally from western New York and have over 20 years experience in the food and beverage business.   They have two sons, Jona & Evan.  

In 2017, the Gambinos purchased an old bank building on the corner of Beneva and Webber which they extensively renovated and converted to a restaurant in a casual, tropical setting.   In May 2018, The Parrot Patio Bar & Grill  opened.  

With a popular location already in Sarasota, The Parrot Patio Bar & Grill owners, Jeffrey and Melanie Gambino brought their passion for great food and creative cocktails to Bradenton, FL.  The Parrot-Bradenton has the same extensive menu, full  bar  and  patio  seating.    Our  team  delivers  excellent service that you’ve come to expect when dining at The Parrot!

On September 3rd, 2020, Jeff & Melanie purchased the property at 2407 Bee Ridge Rd, formerly known as Smacks Burgers & Shakes from the Geckos Hospitality Group.       The  purchase  of  the  new  property  will  be  their  3rd  Parrot  location.    According  to  Mr.  Gambino,  this  Parrot  will  have  different  colored  feathers,  so  to  speak...it  will  be named  The  Parrot  Xpress!   The  projected  opening  is  late  December  2020.    

The Parrot Patio Bar & Grill offers guests an upscale-casual atmosphere featuring large TV’s showing all your sporting events, great food and service, and of course the acoustical live music played on their large outdoor patio that has really made it a local hotspot.  The location in Bradenton located on State Road 70, has also been very well received since its opening in Dec 2019.  That location is currently in permitting to add a brand new 4,000 sq foot patio that will add an outdoor bar and additional outdoor seating and provide the room for live acoustical music as well. This project should be completed and open in Fall of 2021.

“Like all area restaurants, The Parrot Patio Bar & Grill had to make rapid adjustments to the dining areas and operations in general to accommodate our guests and guidelines during the COVID-19 pandemic.  Limited seating, safety concerns and the need for everyone to watch expenses during the pandemic, were just a few concerns that had to be addressed.  These adjustments forced us to look at our Sarasota location differently.  We were not able to offer our customers what they wanted in this changing environment - the ability to order on-line, different delivery options, and curbside pickup. We realized most restaurants offered these services and it’s not that we didn’t want to offer them, we just knew we couldn’t handle any additional volume out of our existing Sarasota location due to size, parking constraints, etc. Simply put, we were at our limit at that location. We realized we needed to expand our Sarasota presence due to demand, but we also wanted to do so in a manner that fit into the changing trends in the restaurant industry.  We feel these two Sarasota locations will complement each other as they will offer the same great food and service, but two very different concepts.”This led us to the idea of introducing a fast-casual “Parrot” concept. The Parrot X-press !  It will be showcasing an elevated, fast-casual menu.  Therefore, in addition to favorite Parrot menu options, such as Beef on Weck, Parrot Burger, Buffalo Shrimp and Shanghai Salad, to name a few… The Parrot Express will be adding additional healthy selections to include more vegan and gluten-free choices and options for special dietary needs to our existing menu.

Additionally, The Parrot Express will offer a contactless ordering experience during dine-in or take-out services. Online ordering will also be available.  In an effort to be more environmentally conscious, and keeping with safe practices, we will be using all digital menu boards.

The emphasis and vision for The Parrot Express is on touchless ordering, quick-serve, high quality, fresh food with curbside pick-up at reasonable prices.  The Gambino’s plan is to completely renovate the former Smacks building, enhancing the décor to mimic the Parrot’s family of restaurants.   Seating will accommodate approximately 75 guests recognizing social distancing requirements.

Conveniently located at 2407 Bee Ridge Rd, on the corner of Shade Avenue. The Parrot Express is conveniently accessible from Siesta Key.  For more information regarding the opening of The Parrot Express, refer to the website www.TheParrotPatioBar.com/ParrotExpress or Facebook @ParrotExpress.     Email:  info@TheParrots.com