King of the Coop’s tender box comes with fries and sauces of your choice. Credit: Photo via kingofthecooptampa/Facebook

OPENINGS/CLOSINGS

Tampa hot chicken restaurant King of the Coop is taking over Seminole Heights’ Nebraska Mini-Mart space
Tampa Bay’s King of Nashville hot chicken is coming home to roost. Earlier this week, King of the Coop announced plans to move into the space where Nebraska Mini-Mart is closing at the end of March. In a social media post, King of the Coop founder and chef Joe Dodd called the move a homecoming. “Seminole Heights is where our community fell in love with great food and each other in 2019 and we look forward to revitalizing the spirit that brought us all together… through GOOD CHICKEN,” Dodd wrote. Dodd first opened, and expanded, his hot chicken concept in Seminole Heights nearly six years ago, bringing to the neighborhood his famous firearchy of hot chicken that goes from naked all the way to the habanero-powered Coop’s Fury. There’s still no timeline on an opening at the old Mini-Mart, but Dodd will presumably have to phase out of his operation at Ybor City’s Cigar City Cider & Mead where King of the Coop has been operating a small location since 2021. – Ray Roa

St. Pete’s Nueva Cantina, now employee-owned, announces new downtown Tampa taco spot
St. Pete’s Nueva Cantina is opening a second location in downtown Tampa — fresh off converting to employee ownership. The Old Southeast spot, at 1625 4th Street, is known for its freshly squeezed margaritas and Mexican street food like their birria barbacoa taco. Its flavors are influenced by ingredients imported from Mexico and much of its team from Jalisco and Mexico City. The Tampa location will open in May at 903 N Franklin Street, beneath the Nine15 residential high-rise apartments in the former Bello spot. The restaurant has become entirely employee owned over the last six months, according to a release. CEO and owner Raul Medina and executive chef Danny Jimenez plan to expand throughout Tampa Bay, with all employee-owned locations. Top employees at each spot can become partners, a spokesperson told Creative Loafing. “The people in the restaurant industry that do the most significant day to day work are inside the restaurants, not in a corporate office,” Medina told Creative Loafing. “I want to ensure that those high performing employees have an opportunity to be directly tied into the success of our restaurants.” – Selene San Felice

EVENTS

Tampa Shuffle celebrates seventh anniversary on Saturday
It’s been seven years, and Danielle O’Connor and Jennifer Evanchyk still don’t know what they’re doing at their sports emporium/neighborhood bar, Shuffle. Something’s working, however, as the spot is home to a vibrant Tuesday open mic, buku live music, competitive leagues, and a weird kids area in the back that the youngest of bar goers seem to enjoy. To mark another turn around the sun, O’Connor, Evanchyk and staff are having a party featuring barn-burning cover band Second Rodeo, a Haus of Gripp drag show, and an art show headlined by photographer Michael Johnson who was one of the bar’s first managers. Proceeds from the party will go to relief efforts in Ukraine, while the Gulf Coast Jewish Family and Community Services stages a supply drive benefitting refugee families. There’s no cover when Tampa Shuffle turns seven on Saturday, March 22. – Ray Roa

Tampa’s Raw Smoothie Co. throws anniversary block party this weekend
A day that starts with Raw Smoothie Co. has a high chance of being successful. The shop started holding it down in NoHo before the neighborhood got hip, bringing to Tampeños all-organic gems like the Rise and Grind green smoothie featuring brown bear espresso beans. The spot marks eight years in business by taking over the block for party soundtracked by Just Some Friends’ collective’s DJ Svntos. Expect vendors, locally-made threads, grub from the Nana’s food truck, and more. There’s no cover for Raw Smoothie Co.’s eight-year anniversary party happening Sunday, March 23. – Ray Roa

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