Gone are the days of drab hotel restaurants with lackluster menus and gaudy decor. This is especially the case for Embassy Suites by Hilton Tampa Downtown Convention Center, where the latest addition to the property is Taste.
"We put everything from the former restaurant, Trolleys Cafe, in the garbage disposal and started fresh," said Don Falgoust, vice president of food and beverage at RLJ, a real estate investment trust that owns hotels operated under global brands.
Falgoust said that transformations such as these are what he's known for in the hotel industry. In 2010, he launched the flagship Taste location, developed to completely rework the eatery that came before it (no, really, not even the wait staff's uniforms were safe). Occupying a Sheraton in food city Philadelphia, the OG Taste proved to be successful, earning $4.5 million in revenue — 70 percent of which was beverage sales — within its first year.
Over the next couple of years, Falgoust continued to create original dining concepts, putting his start-from-scratch approach into several hotel restaurants, among them Tap & Tavern in San Fransisco and Dallas, South Carolina's Vintage Twelve, and Taste in Silicon Valley and San Fran.
Tom Bardenett, Falgoust's boss at RLJ, approached the hospitality veteran earlier this year about overhauling the existing Embassy Suites cafe. Bardenett suggested bringing a Tap & Tavern to the hotel, but Falgoust wasn't so sure. Keeping the growth of downtown Tampa in mind, and the recently opened Sparkman Wharf, he knew Taste was a better fit for Embassy Suites, which has built-in pedestrian traffic thanks to its location at 513 S. Florida Ave.
Renovations on the cafe, from the decor to the silverware, began in August. According to the hotel's director of sales and marketing, Michelle Serra, the team polished every detail during the design phase — and even built a new bar. She also adds "millions" are going into Taste and the overall Embassy Suites renovation.
"We're all so invested and excited to open the doors within the next few months," Serra said.
Although Embassy Suites will house the fourth Taste, Falgoust doesn't consider the restaurant a chain, as each location is different from the next.
"We just love the name, opens up a lot of intrigue," he said. "We'll be serving a taste of Tampa."
What exactly does that mean? New American cuisine.
Taste specializes in ingredient-driven dishes with an emphasis on local farmers, ranchers and culinary artisans. One example is burgers made with the freshest ingredients around.
"Although we will be supporting as much local business as possible, including custom flavors from Revolution Ice Cream Co., Joe and Son's Olive Oils, and Jameson B. Breadhouse Bakes," said Falgoust, "we are not afraid to outsource ingredients in order to make the best possible dishes for our guests."
Washington, D.C. design firm Streetsense is on board to assist with the interior of the restaurant. But there's no need to dress up, as the updated space will carry a casual Floridian vibe. So, yes, flip-flops are encouraged.
What's more, entirely new staff members will join the Taste family. Falgoust wants fresh faces who can mold into what the restaurant is looking for. However, he's found a familiar face and executive chef in Graham Zimmerman. Zimmerman has helped Falgoust open other concepts in the past and has spent nearly a decade in professional kitchens like Napa Valley's Embassy Suites, plus Morimoto Napa and modern Napa Japanese spot Eikos.
Tampa's Taste, similar to the first in Philly, is beverage-centric. "Hyperlocal" taps with both area craft breweries and popular styles are planned (the region's beer scene is thriving, after all), as well as a thoughtfully curated selection of wines from acclaimed wineries. On the specialty cocktail end, expect top-notch spirits and elixirs.
Falgoust hinted at a recurring guest bartender event, an opportunity to invite resident and national celebrities to work the bar and engage with patrons. He and the team also look forward to the arrival of some outdoor seating where a designated smoking area used to be.
Taste is shooting for a debut in late February, but that all depends on when construction comes to a close. Still, the self-described food and drink geek spearheading the restaurant's development seems confident in the process.
Falgoust put it simply: "I immediately knew that this would be a prime example of throwing the old concept in the garbage disposal and building something completely different from the ground up."
