There’s no doubt that Cru Cellars has had an incredibly busy year with the opening of Hyde Park Village champagne bar Bouzy, bottle shop Wine on Water and Water Street hotspot Small Giant—but the hospitality group isn’t done announcing big news just yet.
Jennifer Bingham, owner of the wine and restaurant brand, took to Instagram last week to announce Cru Cellars Hospitality’s latest pivot.
“We’ve learned to tailor each concept to its neighborhood which is why this summer, we’re closing Cru at Armature Works and we’re transforming our Westshore Marina location into a brand new concept called Vela,” Bingham explains in the video. “Vela means ‘sail’ in Italian and it’s inspired by its waterfront marina location.”
She goes on to explain what future customers can expect from Cru’s new Italian restaurant, including a variety of pastas, pizzas and fresh small plates alongside an Italian-Mediterranean cocktail program and wine list.
According to the Tampa Bay Business Journal, Cru’s Westshore Marina space, located at 5232 Bridge St., will close for five days in August and reopen as Vela—although exact closure and grand opening dates aren’t set in stone yet.
Cru Cellars' Armature Works outpost will close sometime this summer as well, perhaps coinciding with Vela's debut. Calls to Cru's Armature Works location were not immediately returned.
After Vela makes its debut sometime this summer, the Italian concept will serve lunch 11 a.m.-4 p.m. on weekdays and weekend brunch from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., in addition to dinner service seven days a week.
Cru Cellars opened its Armature Works location in 2018 and its Westshore Marina restaurant in 2021. After this summer's transition, the only Cru Cellars location—which boasts a hearty dinner menu, charcuterie boards and a variety of bottles to choose from—is located at 2506 S MacDill Ave. The brand’s flagship South Tampa location has been serving the greater Palma Ceia area since 2010.
For the latest updates on Vela's opening next month, head to its newly-formed Instagram at @velatampa.
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Cru Cellars to transform Westshore Marina location into new Italian restaurant ‘Vela’
The local hospitality brand is closing its outpost inside of Armature Works, too.
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