As we get ready for the 2024 Reader Dining Survey & Contest, the New Tampa dining scene continues to evolve, with more closings, openings and rumors than ever.
First, for the bad news: In the Palms Connection plaza on Bearss Ave. just west of Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd., Bearss Tavern & Tap and Mint Cocktail Club, both owned by Cody Jay, are now both permanently closed. We also heard, although have not yet been able to confirm, that the delicious Woodfired Pizza & Wine Bar in the same plaza was likely closing at the end of June. That would be a tremendous loss for the local Neapolitan-style-pizza-loving community.
As for new openings, although it isn’t a restaurant at all, Bull Liquors & Cigar recently re-opened in its new space in the Acropolis Greek Taverna-anchored Oak Ramble Plaza on BBD, south of Tampa Palms. The original Bull Liquors was located in the same plaza, in a much smaller space near Papa John’s Pizza and Jersey Mike’s Subs, but the new location — which took close to a year to get open — is in the plaza’s other end cap, where the last business in there was a check-cashing place, but which also has been home to four restaurants — the first being the Louis Pappas Market Café and the last being Takara Sushi & Sake.
The new Bull Liquors (at 14913 BBD) is a much larger, nicer location with a good selection of fine wines and spirits, as well as a walk-in cigar humidor. For more info, call (813) 513-8941.
Our next stop is the Publix-anchored New Tampa Center plaza on BBD, just north of New Tampa/Cross Creek Blvd, where a new sign recently went up announcing that Everbowl is planning to open in the plaza’s space just north of Publix.
Everbowl, a California-based chain of healthy bowl eateries (think Grain & Berry) with about 90 locations in 24 states, has only one other Florida location, near the University of Central Florida (UCF) in Orlando, but its Everbowl.com website promises a wide variety of bowls featuring Açai, granola, fresh fruit, peanut butter, chia pudding, blue majik (naturally blue-colored spirulina), Coco Love coconut water, Cacao Wow and other healthy, all-natural flavors.
I was surprised to not find a “Coming Soon” on the website for the location, but a spokesperson for the UCF Everbowl said that the franchisee for that location didn’t know about or ask for a Tampa location, “so it may be a different franchise owner.” We’ll keep you posted.
Speaking of healthier eating, two different health-conscious concepts that recently closed in the Winn-Dixie and LA Fitness-anchored The Cypress plaza tucked in off BBD at the corner of County Line Rd. are both in the process of being replaced.
The one we know for sure is happening is that Coffee Latitudes, which currently has a popular kiosk at the Shops at Wiregrass mall, is planning to open the Coffee Latitudes Coffee & Wine Bar in the former location of Juice Factory (at 6431 E. County Line Rd., Suite 110, next to Max’s Pets).
But, all we can tell you about the other vacant space, that previously was home to Island Fin Poké Co., is that the replacement could be a popular healthy eatery at the KRATE at The Grove Container Park. Again, we’ll keep you posted.
No comment yet, add your voice below!