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Business & Tech

Business Snapshot: Panko Serves 'Restaurant Food in a Fast Environment'

Founder Gaston D. Merideth was a culinary arts teacher, food columnist and chef before opening his first fast-casual style restaurant in Brandon, offering gourmet food at a fast-food price.

There’s a Renaissance man behind the counter at Panko, 528 Oakfield Drive. The new “fast casual”-style restaurant and catering company, which opened May 2, specializes in chicken and fish sandwiches, flatbread, and burgers. Gaston D. Merideth is the president and owner of Panko but to call him a chef just scratches the surface with this talented entrepreneur, who is as comfortable in front of a class and a keyboard as he is at a stove.

Where did you come up with the name Panko?

Panko is a Japanese breadcrumb. It’s very light and crisp, and we use it to coat our chicken, grouper and curried shrimp. It helps the sandwiches to stay crisp, and it holds up longer. Customers love the coating because it doesn’t get soggy, and you can flavor it in many different ways. You just add different herbs and spices when you cook it.”

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You are a brave man to open a business with the economy in the doldrums. How has business been?

“Is there a right time to open a business? One thing about being in business is that you have to go for it. It could be a booming economy and you could fail. We opened during summer, which is a slow time, but business is building as word starts to spread around. You can’t stop living because of the economy. There’s always a way to make money in any economy.”

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Burger-and-sandwich joints are a dime a dozen. What makes Panko different?

Panko is a fast-casual style restaurant. We have a fast-food environment, but the food is always fresh, with fresh ingredients. We have the style of food you would find in a restaurant but in a fast-food environment. I try to bring something that is not just different — you can get a burger anywhere — but something that stands out. We have chipotle burgers, black-and-blue burgers, blackened grouper or chicken sandwiches. We also offer fish tacos — that has been one of our best sellers — and black bread pizza made with Indian naan bread. We make a gourmet burger or sandwich at a reasonable price.

Is this your first venture in the restaurant business?

I had a catering company in the past, taught culinary arts at Manatee Technical Institute, and have written articles on food for Sam’s Club and the Chicago Times. I have also worked as a chef.

What’s ahead for Panko?

This is my first one. I hope to grow it into a chain and a franchise in the future. I got the idea for the restaurant in 2009 and have spent the last two years fine-tuning the idea. I am optimistic.

Panko caters and delivers and is open Monday through Saturday from 10:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. For more information, call 813-655-4400.

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