LUCKY DILL opened on West Shore, across from International Plaza, in early November. The restaurant serves New York classics, such as corned beef Reubens and matzo ball soup. Owner Jason Mitow plans to add a New York Minute Express Lane, which would have a smaller menu and faster service.
Slated to open in December, THEE TREE HOUSE is replacing Platt Street Borough in Hyde Park. The new restaurant features a jungle theme, complete with hanging rope, foliage, wood-heavy decor and tree murals both inside and outside. Menu offerings include lobster paella, charcuterie and sous vide chicken, plus CBD-infused cocktails.
A number of downtown locations won LYFTIE AWARDS, given by ridesharing company Lyft to some of the city’s most popular dropoff and pickup locations. Franklin Manor was the most visited bar and American Social the most visited late-night spot, while Armature Works took home the title of “Only in Tampa.”
The University of South Florida’s on-campus PUBLIX is projected to open the first week of December. The 28,000 square-foot store located at Fletcher Avenue and USF Palm Drive will offer indoor and outdoor seating, as well as bike racks and connecting sidewalks to residence halls.
YOLK, WHITE & ASSOCIATES is the top place to eat in Tampa Bay, according to Yelp. The website compiled its list of the region’s top 50 restaurants based on their ratings and total volume of reviews. Tampa restaurants took three of the top 10 spots; Sulphur Springs Sandwich Shop and Chicago Paulie’s were ranked sixth and eighth, respectively.
LUCKY PET, a pet store on W. Hillsborough Avenue, will open in December. The pet store will offer services such as grooming, training and daycare and has a retail section. The location boasts an indoor play area and a large, grassy area behind the building.
In a contest conducted by the American Planning Association, the TAMPA RIVERWALK was recognized with the “Great Places in America: People’s Choice Award.” After five finalists were selected, people voted on their favorite. The Riverwalk faced competitors such as the Katy Trail in Missouri and the Detroit Riverfront.
Tampa stationery and paper goods store THE PAPER SEAHORSE has opened a second location in Ybor City, between The Blind Tiger and Dysfunctional Grace Art Co. on Seventh Avenue. The new pop-up shop, called Frivolo Dry Goods, is Wild West-themed and carries typewriters, European fountain pens, travelers notebooks, cards and other paper-based goods like journals, plus a selection of other items.
Tampa is planning to test a dockless ELECTRIC SCOOTER program in the downtown area. The city opened applications for the pilot program to find three operators that would supply motorized scooters for the service. Tampa hopes to have the scooters by February and continue the program for a year. The scooters would not be allowed on public roads, but users could ride them on sidewalks and multi-use paths.
A rail line connecting Orlando and Tampa just took a step closer to actually coming into existence. BRIGHTLINE, soon to be Virgin Trains USA, gained state approval to negotiate for the right-of-way leases necessary to create the service. The $1.7 billion privately financed project hopes to launch service in 2021, with a Tampa station somewhere around the urban core and possible stops in Lakeland and Walt Disney World, eventually connecting to South Florida.
In a study conducted by WalletHub, Tampa was named No. 29 of America’s BEST SPORTS CITIES. The study was categorized based on population size and judged cities based upon sports teams’ rankings. Home to the Buccaneers and the Lightning, Tampa was the second-highest ranking Florida city on the list of 419 candidates
