By Jane Bartnett

A Crescent Beach and Siesta Key landmark, the Toasted Mango Café, on Midnight Pass, is the go-to breakfast and lunch spot on the south side of the island. Always busy and filled with happy customers who come back again and again, it’s a favorite of both locals and visitors.

For Kim Duffy, who, along with her business partner Sandi Wagner, launched the Toasted Mango Cafe in Siesta Key, nearly 10 years ago, it’s been an exciting and busy decade. In addition to the Siesta Key location, this spring, the duo opened a Toasted Mango in Holmes Beach, on Anna Maria Island. Weeks ago, on May 19, the pair celebrated their newest Toasted Mango at 1371 Boulevard of the Arts, in downtown Sarasota’s Rosemary District. The new eatery takes the place of the original downtown venture on North Tamiami Trail that started the whole enterprise. The Siesta Key restaurant with its cheery yellow walls filled with artwork from celebrated Sarasota artist Mary Lou Johnson, was the duo’s second location.

“It’s very hard to believe,” said Duffy, as she looked back on the past 10 years. “We’ve had so much fun doing it, and now our children are involved.” Friends for 20 years, the two women worked together at different restaurants and made the decision one day to open their own place and do it together. “We created a menu we’re proud of. Between the two of us,” Duffy said with a laugh, “we have about 70 years of restaurant experience.”

As Siesta Key has grown and evolved over the past 10 years, so too has the Toasted Mango. “The south end has blossomed and come into its own,” said Duffy. “It’s now equally as important as the village.” Their secret recipe for success, says the restauranteur, is their fresh food and “incredible staff.”

The avocado toast that Duffy calls “hugely popular,” is a best-seller and their French toast is also in demand. Then, there are those award-winning waffles. In 2018, the national Food Network traveled the nation as part of their “50 States, 50 Waffles” program, and discovered the Toasted Mango on Siesta Key. Of their discovery, writer Patty Lee wrote on the Food Network webpages, (that remain online today): “With one of the country’s most-beautiful beaches just steps away, Toasted Mango Cafe serves several tropical items that perfectly set the tone for a day in the sun. The morning menu includes an excellent chef’s special waffle created by owners Sandi Wagner and Kimberly Duffy. The airy malted discs — pressed for exactly three minutes — arrive crisp and warm, adorned with cubes of ripe mango, toasted coconut flakes and whipped cream. It’s a true taste of paradise.”

That wasn’t the only honor that Duffy and Wagner have received over the years. In 2022, they won the coveted Trip Advisor Traveler’s Choice Award, having ranked #25 among 632 restaurants in Sarasota. Several years earlier, in 2015, MSN recognized the Toasted Mango with their “Best Diners in Every State” award.

What lies ahead for this pair of dedicated restauranteurs who excel at their craft?

“I think we’ll have a really busy summer on Siesta Key,” said Duffy. “People have been waiting to come back. We have a lot of time shares on the south end.”

It hasn’t always been easy. Before the hurricanes ravaged Siesta Key, the duo had remodeled the Siesta Key store. “We put in new floors, and we painted.” Due to the elevation of the plaza, the restaurant did not flood, but like the rest of Siesta Key, the hurricanes kept loyal customers away for a time. They customers returned and now, Duffy is looking ahead. Grateful for her staff and her family, she said, “we have five kids who work with us now,” referring to her own, and Wagner’s children.

Looking ahead to the Siesta Key location’s 10th anniversary, Duffy says that they will do “something fun.”

What is it that diners at the Siesta Key restaurant come back for? In addition to those special waffles, French toast and avocado toast, at lunch time, Duffy said, fish is the big seller. “People love the mahi tacos with the mango sauce. The closer you get to the water, it seems everyone wants fish,” she said knowingly.

Looking back, Duffy has every right to be proud. “For me it was my calling,” she said of her career. As the pair wrote on their website, “Everything runs very smoothly when everyone has a mutual respect for the others’ responsibilities and is always willing to jump in and help in any area that needs it. This philosophy creates a well-oiled machine. We feel very fortunate to have such a wonderful staff of family and friends.”

Siesta Key is fortunate to have the Toasted Mango. Happy 10th anniversary Toasted Mango!

Visit the Toasted Mango at 6621 Midnight Pass, seven days a week. Hours are 7:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. Call 941-552-6485. Toastedmangocafe.com