Mattison’s, the Sarasota-based restaurant group led by Chef Paul Mattison, is lining up what appears to be a fifth outpost, this time inside Wimauma’s Valencia Lakes community. Plan-review paperwork lists a new restaurant called Mattison’s at Valencia Lakes at 16003 Valencia Club Drive, placing it in the gated community’s clubhouse complex near the tennis and pickleball courts. If the project moves forward, local residents could have a full-service Mattison’s within easy walking distance of those common-area amenities.
According to What Now, the filing is under Mattison’s 41, LLC and includes the Valencia Club Drive address. The outlet reported that it reached out to Chef Paul Mattison but did not receive a response. This sort of initial plan-review submission is typically one of the early bureaucratic steps before contractors start tenant improvements and the full permitting process. If it all gets the green light, the move would stretch Mattison’s footprint beyond its existing Gulf Coast locations.
The company’s website notes that Mattison’s currently operates Mattison’s Forty-One at 7275 S. Tamiami Trail and three Mattison’s City Grille locations in downtown Sarasota, at the Bradenton Riverwalk and inside Sarasota’s SRQ Airport. The site identifies Paul Mattison as the executive chef and owner and also highlights a catering arm based at the Forty-One address. Adding Valencia Lakes would bring the group’s location count to five and give the brand a toehold closer to northern Tampa Bay.
Where the new spot would sit
The Valencia Lakes community website lists the clubhouse at 16003 Valencia Club Drive and shows nearby amenities that include tennis courts, pickleball courts and a large clubhouse building. A Mattison’s in that footprint would sit inside a gated 55+ lifestyle enclave and within walking distance for many residents. The clubhouse address and property map indicate direct access from Sun City Center Boulevard and the South Tamiami Trail corridor.
Why Valencia Lakes is a logical choice
Valencia Lakes is marketed as a 55+ community with resort-style amenities and a busy calendar of social events, a combination that could help support steady daytime and evening traffic for a neighborhood restaurant, according to 55places.com. The development sits roughly 25 miles south of downtown Tampa, a short drive for nearby suburban residents and area workers. For a chef-owned brand that already leans into catering and community engagement, a built-in audience for on-site gatherings could translate into additional catering opportunities.
What comes next
A plan-review filing alone does not guarantee construction, and there is no clear timeline yet for tenant improvements, permitting or any formal public announcement. What Now reported that Mattison’s did not immediately respond to requests for comment, and county permitting records are likely to be the clearest signal that the project is moving forward. We will be watching for permit activity, job postings and any official word from Mattison’s or the Valencia Lakes community that confirms the plan and pins down an opening window.
