A 5,054-square-foot space at University Town Center that spent a decade serving sushi rolls is about to fill up with bao buns, twice-fried Korean chicken wings and Sichuan wontons. Hawkers Asian Street Food plans to open at 229 N. Cattlemen Road in UTC's West District, taking over the spot vacated by JPan Sushi & Grill, which closed on September 13 after a decade at the center.
The move puts the Orlando-based chain in University Town Center, a major shopping and dining district, according to the Miami Herald. Hawkers began in Orlando in 2011 and now operates 16 locations across the Southeast and Texas, including several Florida outposts in Delray Beach, Orlando, St. Petersburg and Jacksonville. Co-founder Kaleb Harrell said the company has been looking forward to bringing the restaurant to Sarasota and considers UTC its best home yet, per the Herald.
Beyond the familiar menu of shareable plates — think Malaysian roti, pad thai and craft cocktails and sake — Harrell said the new location will also debut something Hawkers has never tried before: a standalone street food sweet shop. Its menu remains a secret. Existing items such as the Chili Vanilli, a roti dish topped with vanilla ice cream, Sichuan chili crisp, sesame peanut sauce and crushed peanuts, and cinnamon-sugar Jo-Hé Bag O' Donuts could offer a hint, though it is unknown whether either will be offered at UTC, according to Sarasota Magazine.
A Turnaround After Chapter 11
The UTC opening arrives after a rocky stretch for the chain. In September 2024, Hawkers filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in federal court.
In February 2025, Hawkers voluntarily withdrew from Chapter 11, the company said, and reported a consensual loan restructuring with its prior lender. In June 2025, Utah-based private equity firm Savory Fund announced an investment and official partnership with the chain, according to a release carried by PR Newswire. Savory Fund has previously backed the growth of concepts like Swig and Via 313 Pizzeria.
The financials underpinning that turnaround are notable: the chain's report notes Hawkers generates average unit volumes of $4.6 million per store and grew sales 18.5% between 2022 and 2023. The brand's history carries loss as well as growth — co-founder Danny “Kin” Ho, who helped establish Hawkers' original Orlando location and its early commissary operations alongside Harrell, Allen Lo and Wayne Yung, died from leukemia in January 2024 at age 46, according to the Tampa Bay Times.
UTC's Growing Dining Roster
University Town Center is owned by Benderson Development and spans more than 4 million square feet near Interstate 75 and University Parkway, straddling the border of Sarasota and Manatee counties. The center already houses more than 250 retail stores and 80 dining establishments, and Hawkers joins a wave of recent additions that includes fast-casual concepts Just Salad and Pure Green, according to Your Observer. Upscale concepts BrickTop's, Olivia and On Swann are slated to open at UTC in 2027.
Benderson's continued build-out of UTC follows the developer's broader push across the region, including its Wellen Park expansion plans.
A Market Already Drawing National Attention
Hawkers isn't arriving in an under-the-radar dining scene. The chain earned a Michelin Guide recommendation in 2022.
For now, Hawkers has not announced an opening date for the Cattlemen Road location. But between the sweet shop debut, the chain's post-bankruptcy momentum and UTC's fast-expanding food lineup, the University Parkway corridor is shaping up to be one of the region's more closely watched dining destinations heading into next year.
