Palmetto sports bar will expand into downtown Bradenton with Jaxx Wing Co. restaurant
A new restaurant, Jaxx Wing Co., is planned for the dining and entertainment scene on Bradenton’s Old Main Street.
Owner-operator Joshua Hatch plans to demolish much of the interior of the former Señor Fajitas Mexican restaurant at 316 Old Main Street and start over. Projected opening date: sometime between August and October.
Planned is a chicken-focused menu with wings and chicken sandwiches, but also offering guests other options, such as build-a-burger and BLTs. Wine and beer would be available, but not cocktails.
A new fast-casual dining option on Old Main Street is just what Bradenton Mayor Gene Brown would like to see. Brown pitched the idea to Hatch, 41, after meeting him at the Manatee County Fair, where Hatch, owner of Jaxx Sports Bar & Grill, 1035 Hasko Road, Palmetto, was serving from his food trailer.
Hatch bought Jaxx Sports Bar & Grill in October 2021 and set about flipping it from bar-heavy to restaurant-heavy and focusing on a family-friendly setting.
Jaxx Sports Bar & Grill’s No. 1 seller is its wings, but the restaurant’s burgers, Philly cheese steaks and fried chicken sandwiches have also been very popular, Hatch said.
Jaxx Wing Co. heading to downtown Bradenton
Plus, there’s more.
“Our salads are beautiful and huge,” he said.
The Jaxx Palmetto location has seating for about 180 and plenty of entertainment options, including a couple of pool tables, darts, video games, basketball hoops, 14 large-screen TVs and a pair of pull-down screens for projected TV images.
Candy and Todd Ringling were among the couples enjoying Jaxx this week.
“They have a friendly staff and great atmosphere. We love the sports, the good food and the cold beer,” Candy Ringling said.
Karen and Keith Middendorf say they wished they had learned about Jaxx earlier.
“A neighbor told me that this was a great place to have a burger. It’s a great hang-out. Now we’re going to come back a lot,” Karen Middendorf said.
Jessie Johnson said she was new to Florida when she began tending bar at Jaxx two years ago.
“Jaxx was very welcoming, very comfortable,” Johnson said.
More about the owner
Hatch, a native of Utah, enlisted in the Coast Guard and was in boot camp during the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. He served six years as a member of a safety and security team.
In 2008, he started working in the hospitality industry, opened several bars, and helped other people open businesses.
He was living in south Tampa when he heard that Jaxx was about to go on the market.
“The broker told me about a bar with great bones and a great clientele. I came down, and it was one of those things where I could see the potential before I even walked in the door,” Hatch said.
He set about making Jaxx more family-friendly and offering good quality food at a reasonable price.
Of the decision to open a second location on Bradenton’s Old Main Street, Hatch called it the right place at the right time.
The Jaxx Wing Co. will be smaller than the Palmetto location and will have seating for about 40. Hatch expects to be open seven days a week with similar hours.
“We’ll play it by ear,” he said.
About the Palmetto restaurant
▪ Name: Jaxx Sports Bar & Grill
▪ Address: 1035 Hasko Road, Palmetto, in Palm Plaza 1, near Walmart
▪ Hours: 11:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, 11:30 a.m. to midnight Friday and Saturday. Jaxx stays open later for big sporting events
▪ Online: jaxxfl.com
▪ Phone: (941) 479-7816
