FSR November 2022

HOT MARKE T S

L ocated close to Flor ida’s abundant agri cultural areas and with a solid commercial fish ing industry to boot, Tampa is a foodie para dise, thanks in large part to the city’s rich cultural roots. And according to census data, Tampa’s collective population is more diverse than sev eral other U.S. cities of a comparable size, such as Boston and St. Louis. That cultural heritage is reflected in its cuisine; the city is famous for its Cuban sandwiches, but beyond this, it boasts several distinct neigh borhoods that main tain individual culinary reputations. For exam ple, the SoHo neigh borhood is famous for Bern’s Steak House, a fine-dining hub that has been open since 1953, while nearby Seminole Heights offers a modern, bohemian appeal. The latter neighborhood is home to concepts like

Tampa

POPULATION: 3,243,963 GROWTH IN HOSPITALITY JOBS: 11.2%

thriving tourism industry. With mild, dry winters and proximity to white sand beaches, Tampa’s visitor season is long and fruitful. After a brief dip early in the pandemic, Tampa tourism rebounded to pre-pandemic levels in 2021, with the city bring ing in 30.9 million visi tors in the last quarter of 2021 alone, per Visit Tampa Bay. And with tourists coming from all corners of the country, Tampa restaurants could find themselves busy with locals and vacation ers alike.

Ulele, a locally sourced eatery inspired by Flo ridian indigenous tradi tions, and Rooster & the Till, an inventive New American restaurant serving creative plates and events, such as this year’s visiting chef din ner series (see sidebar). The ability of legacy restaurants to operate successfully alongside cutting-edge con cepts is proof of Tam pa’s diversity—and its

The restaurant began as a 37-seat eatery in 2013. Now, its 72-seat dining room and rotat ing, seasonal contempo rary menus have secured it a 2022 Michelin Bib Gourmand Award and Alvarez a 2017 James Beard nomination. In addition to Rooster & the Till, Alvarez has created burger, Mexican street food, and Asian street food concepts under his Proper House Restaurant Group. He’s also on track to open Ash, an Italian fine-din ing establishment, in 2023. A fixture in the Tampa industry, Alva rez sees a great deal of potential in the area. “The Tampa restau rant scene is starting to mature but still has a way to go,” he says. “I’m positive that we will become a solid food destination city in the next few years. … The amount of restaurants over the past few years has been increasing steadily.”

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