Lara Ybor City It’s been well over a year since seasoned Tampa chef Suzanne “Suz” Lara announced the opening of her debut concept that pays homage to her newly-acquired last name, but watchers of the local dining scene haven’t forgotten about the unique bar, kitchen and marketplace. After taking a slight pause to deal with some personal circumstances earlier this year, owner and Executive Chef Lara says that her concept’s opening is chugging along. The 41 year-old chef tells Creative Loafing Tampa Bay that Lara’s doors are slated to open sometime this fall. Photo by Skyler June Credit: C/o Suzanne Lara

It’s been well over a year since seasoned Tampa chef Suzanne “Suz” Lara announced the opening of her debut concept that pays homage to her newly-acquired last name, but watchers of the local dining scene haven’t forgotten about the unique bar, kitchen and marketplace.

After taking a slight pause to deal with some personal circumstances earlier this year, owner and Executive Chef Lara says that her concept’s opening is chugging along.

The 41 year-old chef tells Creative Loafing Tampa Bay that Lara’s doors are slated to open sometime this fall.

While she was originally looking for a space in Tampa Heights due to its centralized location, her debut concept will now open in Ybor City, although its exact address has not yet been released. The decision to open in Ybor City was definitely an intentional one.

“I think it’s time for some good news about Ybor, since there’s been mainly bad news on all fronts lately,” Lara says. “I’m hoping that when I do announce the exact location and opening date, it’ll be a breath of fresh air—not only for Ybor but for all Tampa residents.”

Described as an “apothecary bar and culinary market,” Lara will be a multifaceted space that revolves around its bar—which will serve a variety of both N/A and alcoholic beverages—plus a marketplace filled with specialized goods and a food program that Lara calls its “supporting member.”

While she’s not ready to share any details about her menu or Lara’s dining experience just yet, she describes her debut concept as a “social drinking experience that just so happens to have some of the most amazing food that you’ll have at a bar.”

Chef Suz started her culinary journey about 20 years ago as a dishwasher at Tampa’s now-closed Viva La Frida, eventually becoming a line cook. She then helped open Ella’s Americana Folk Art Cafe and helmed its kitchen as the Executive Chef for about a decade before helping open Cass Street Deli in 2019. She also worked as Rooster & the Till’s sous chef in 2021 while finalizing business plans for Lara’s eventual debut.

Her highly-anticipated bar, marketplace and “supporting” kitchen will certainly be a culmination of her experience running kitchens, developing menus and helping open different restaurants throughout Tampa.

“With Lara, I really want to represent what I think is authentic to Tampa—no disrespect to any of the new development because I think it’s great to be diversified—but when it comes to what I want the Lara brand to be…I want it to be authentically Tampa,” Lara tells CL.

“I want to honor Ybor for what it is and play off everything that it’s already known for,” she continues.

Make sure to follow @lara.tampa on Instagram to keep up with the soft opening teasers—or in her own words, “little juicy updates”—that Chef Lara will be dropping throughout the summer.