Kris Kubik and chef Paul Kapsalis have owned one of downtown Safety Harbor’s most charming food spots, Green Springs Bistro, for nearly 20 years. But the couple are ready to take on a new adventure outside of 156 Fourth Ave. N. — and Tampa Bay.
On June 2, an announcement posted to the Green Springs Facebook page informed fans of the New American restaurant, and its welcoming, neighborhood feel, that Kapsalis and Kubik plan to move south to the Florida Keys, where they’re opening an eatery on Sugarloaf Key.
“This past September, when the Big Storm came through, we were drawn to our ‘second home’ in the Lower Keys,” the lengthy, heartfelt post reads. “After many trips down to help out and after the chain saws slowly quieted down, we were offered an opportunity to bring our passion and talents to create a restaurant on Sugarloaf Key. So, we are heading down south once again to begin the next chapter of our lives with our Keys family.”
Green Springs, however, is starting its own new chapter with Tom Golden, Richard Alday and chef Jason Rodis of The Lure, which started in downtown St. Pete and now operates a second location in South Tampa.
“We wish them well in all the exciting plans they have for Her future. Please go by and welcome them to the neighborhood,” continues the post from Kapsalis and Kubik.
https://www.facebook.com/Greenspringsbistro/posts/10155188916635566
In 2000, when Kubik and Kapsalis first opened the doors of Green Springs, there wasn’t much going on with Safety Harbor’s dining scene.
“For a while, downtown Safety Harbor was undiscovered. A lot has changed, so it’s been a good growth to see,” Kubik told CL in 2015. “More things are moving off Main Street. It’s becoming a very walkable downtown.”
During that interview, Kapsalis added they “always wanted a town full of restaurants so people would come around,” and there’s no question Green Springs — specializing in Gulf Coast cuisine with some Mediterranean influence — has helped the community become a destination for food-obsessed locals and out-of-towners. The ones who know where to look, that is.
This paragraph helps bring the restaurant’s Facebook announcement to a close, but do check out the full post above that’s got more than 500 reactions, 100 comments and 30 shares: “Thank you to all of you who have helped us get to this point. The list is vast, and we are so grateful for each and every one of you. These past 18 years with Green Springs in Safety Harbor have been some of the best years of our lives, and we can’t imagine having spent those years any differently. We thank you for supporting us, believing in us, and allowing us to be there with you along the way. You have truly completed our memories.”
This article appears in Jun 7-14, 2018.
