The Dream Team
Mix experienced St. Petersburg business owners with a growing urban Tampa neighborhood with a passion for craft cocktails and tasty Latin American bites, and you’ll get the new Bodega and Mandarin Heights location in Seminole Heights. Specializing in unique cocktails with a design owner Ryan Griffin describes as “1960s, mid-century, Palm Springs-inspired,” Mandarin Heights is the sister concept to the craft cocktail bar Mandarin Hide in St. Pete. This is also the second location for George and Debbie Sayegh’s Bodega, which features Latin-inspired sandwiches (including their fan-favorite Cuban), salads, coffees and juices.
The two concepts share the indoor-outdoor spot on Florida Avenue, which Griffin and his partners Blake Thompson and Bill Griffin came across as they searched for a new Mandarin Hide location. Griffin pitched the idea of a collaboration to the Sayeghs, who, coincidentally, had also been looking to expand to Seminole Heights. “We came and looked at it, and it was just the right spot for Bodega,” Debbie says. “Seminole Heights reminds us a bit of the Edge District in St. Pete from years ago before it became what it is now.” “We fell in love with the neighborhood and its unique character,” adds Griffin. “For us, it’s kind of an exciting area full of other creative innovators and entrepreneurs who are building great concepts.”
Bodega
5901 N. Florida Ave. | (813) 533-3333 | eatatbodega.com
Wed, Thurs, Sun, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. | Fri, Sat, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.
Mandarin Heights
5901 N. Florida Ave. | mandarinheights.com
Thurs to Sun, 5 p.m. to 3 a.m. Tues-Sat: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. | Sun: 12:30 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Check out our other What’s New story from TAMPA downtown here.
