THE REFINERY will soon transition into a catering and events hall available for weddings and special occasion fine dining events. The pioneer in the Seminole Heights dining scene ended its restaurant service in early August and will undergo a name change to become Idyllwild.
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LA LA’S SANGRIA BAR is set to open this fall in the Channel District. The new spot will feature a full bar and offer lunch, dinner and sangria. They will serve eight favors of house-made sangria, craft beers and tapas.
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BAY CANNON BEER CO. hosted its grand opening in early August on historic West Tampa’s Main Street. The brewery will serve 13 beers, nine from their own taps and four from other breweries, plus four wines on tap. The head chef, Joshua Keene, is an alum of Metropolitan Ministries’ Inside the Box culinary program and is serving up chicken wings, pretzel bread, shrimp tacos and more small bites.
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New York City’s Development Ventures Group purchased a lot near the Straz Center for $7.3 million with the intention to develop NEW APARTMENTS in downtown Tampa. The East Tyler Street land, within walking distance of the University of Tampa, would house a 23-story apartment tower that is expected to be student housing.
According to plans led with the city, a SPROUTS FARMERS MARKET could be coming to The Heights development north of downtown. The store sells fresh, natural and organic foods. Since their first Florida store opened in Carrollwood in 2017, the healthy grocery store has opened half a dozen locations throughout the Tampa Bay area.
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Tampa’s COPPERTAIL BREWING CO. has launched its own menu and will now serve meals along with beer. They will have small plates like wings and cheese boards as well as flatbreads, burgers, sandwiches and salads. All ages are welcome, as Coppertail even offers a kids’ menu.
CVS PHARMACY is coming to the Channel District. The convenience store is slated to be in the Meridian Avenue storefront in Grand Central at Kennedy and open in early 2020. It will sit right near the new Publix, a block away in the Channel Club.
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Tampa is the fifth-best city for RECREATION in the country, according to a new ranking by WalletHub. The study considered leisure activities, parks, property values and more. Tampa was ranked right behind Honolulu, Orlando, Las Vegas and San Diego.
The Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority voted to continue funding the DOWNTOWNER free ride service through at least March. Users hail a car through an app, similar to Uber or Lyft. Over the past year, tweaks to service including combined rides— where users coming from and going to nearby locations share a ride — have brought wait times down to about 15 minutes on average. The Downtowner has given more than half a million rides since its launch in 2016.
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A new CITY PARK is under construction in the Channel District. Along Madison Street next to the Channel Club, the as-yet-unnamed park will feature a dog park, shuffleboard courts, a multisport court and a shade structure, according to city plans.
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A second PANE RUSTICA is now open at Armature Works. The South Tampa bakery and bistro is known for its freshly baked breads, pastries, flatbreads and changing daily specials. An opening date has yet to be announced, but the new location will be moving in to the stall previously occupied by Inside the Box Cafe.
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Tampa is the country’s third-most PET-FRIENDLY CITY, according to WalletHub. The rankings accounted for each city’s pet health and wellness, outdoor pet-friendliness and cost of pet ownership. Tampa scored best on the latter category and tied with five other cities for the most veterinarians per capita.
A new secret bar has opened inside of Anise Global Gastrobar. HIDDEN STAR TIKI BAR serves craft tiki cocktails and small bites Friday and Saturday from 7 p.m. to 2 a.m. The experience is meant to be exclusive, with only a small cocktail menu available to the bar’s 27 seats. You must check in with Anise’s host to be seated at Hidden Star, and seating ends at midnight.
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OXFORD EXCHANGE will soon feature a new Champagne bar in its shop area. The bar will serve Champagne and cocktails, sparkling rosé and beer. The design of the café-style bar is expected to compliment the rest of Oxford Exchange and o er shoppers a new experience.
