Luv Child 516 S Howard Ave., Tampa Nearly five years after its debut, South Tampa modern Cuban concept Luv Child said goodbye last summer. Luv Child took to social media to announce the closure, and to thank diners for their support. “After careful consideration, we have decided to permanently close our doors at Luv Child, with our last day of service being Sunday, July 28th,” read a statement from the restaurant. “We have cherished every moment spent serving you and are incredibly grateful for your unwavering LUV and support. Thank you so much for being a part of our journey!” Luv Child was known for a posh (and very pink) atmosphere, offering up elevated Cuban and Latin fare like loaded quesadillas, chicharrones, and tostones, as well as a well-appointed cocktail menu. No exact reason was given for the closure, though the post stated that a second location of Italian fast-casual concept Jay & Luigi will open in the same space. Luv Child was owned by the Ciccio Restaurant Group (CRG), which also operates other local restaurants including Green Lemon, Daily Eats, Fresh Kitchen, Water & Flour, Taco Dirty, Cali and others. Photo via Luv Child/Facebook Credit: Photo via Luv Child/Facebook
Nearly five years after its debut,  South Tampa modern Cuban concept Luv Child is saying goodbye.

Over the weekend, Luv Child took to social media to announce the closure, and to thank diners for their support. “After careful consideration, we have decided to permanently close our doors at Luv Child, with our last day of service being Sunday, July 28th,” read a statement from the restaurant. “We have cherished every moment spent serving you and are incredibly grateful for your unwavering LUV and support. Thank you so much for being a part of our journey!”

Luv Child is owned by the Ciccio Restaurant Group (CRG), which also operates other local restaurants including Green Lemon, Daily Eats, Fresh Kitchen, Water & Flour, Taco Dirty, Cali and others.

Luv Child was known for a posh (and very pink) atmosphere, offering up elevated Cuban and Latin fare like loaded quesadillas, chicharrones, and tostones, as well as a well-appointed cocktail menu.

No exact reason was given for the closure, though the post stated that a second location of Italian fast-casual concept Jay & Luigi  will open in the same space at 516 S Howard Ave.

The first Jay & Luigi, which is a product from both CRG and Forbici’s co-founder Jason Brunetti, opened in St. Petersburg at 3201 4th St. North in 2021.

“Stay tuned for more updates on the grand opening, and we can’t wait to welcome you to Jay Luigi soon!,” said the post.

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This article appears in Jul 11-17, 2024.

Colin Wolf has been working with weekly newspapers since 2007 and has been the Digital Editor for Creative Loafing Tampa since 2019. He is also the Director of Digital Content Strategy for CL's parent...