A daytime exterior photograph of a commercial storefront in Tampa. The building features a light yellow brick facade on the left and a muted sage-green painted entrance. The entrance includes glass double doors with a multi-pane transom window above, flanked by large glass display windows. The street-facing windows reflect a city street with parked cars, mature trees, and a building across the way. Inside the bottom right window, a small poster for the Gasparilla Music Festival is visible. On the brick wall to the left, a small dark plaque is mounted beneath a black gooseneck light fixture and a security camera. — Peppermint Lounge in Tampa, Florida. Credit: c/o Rumblebuzz

Tampa Heights’ Yellow Brick Row is getting a shot of flavor this fall.

Today , Rooster & the Till founder Ty Rodriguez shared plans to open the music-driven Peppermint Lounge at 1607 N Franklin St., on the same block as Rialto Theater, Hidden Springs Ale Works, and Florida School of Woodwork, and just a block away from Cafe Hey.

The space was formerly home to Elevation Coffee and Flower Crown Kombucha.

In a press release, Rodriguez said Peppermint Lounge—inspired by the New York City ‘60s-era lounge where the “Twist” was born—is meant to be “a spot with soul, where music, photography, hospitality, and personality come together in a way that’s intentional and honest.”

Large format photos by rock photojournalist Jim Marshall will be on the walls and an outdoor patio will provide more space to linger, listen, or host a large party.

Drinks and service, the release added, will strip away the pretentiousness of the modern cocktail scene and provide refuge for “bartenders who give a damn about being bartenders, and anyone looking for a place to have an honest drink.”

Anyone seeking unnecessary, over-the-top flair and fluff may have to go elsewhere since the concept promises a “sharp and forward-thinking” bar program and “real drinks for real people made the right way.”

The old school feel will even extend to the register where Peppermint Lounge will promote a cash payment option.

Rodriguez, a lifelong music and art lover who will fight someone about Bob Dylan then talk to them about “The Tao of Pooh,” said that music is the focus at Peppermint Lounge.

Each day, he and the bar team will curate a fresh crate of records and release it before doors open. The LPs will be played in full, with plans to host themed nights (think CBGB, Muscle Shoals) to spotlight artists from certain eras and locations. A small stage will also host intimate performances.

Rodriguez, who is one of the last remaining original board members on the Gasparilla Music Foundation, will even offer the space to local music teachers to host afterschool lessons before doors open.

“Being able to open our doors during the day and give kids access to instruments and lessons is just as important as what happens at night,” Rodriguez added. “If we can help one kid discover that spark inside them, then we’ve done something that lasts far beyond us.”

Tampa Heights’ Peppermint Lounge hopes to open this fall and operate from 5 p.m.-2 a.m. Details about the grand opening will be announced in the coming months, according to the release.

Follow @peppermintloungetampa on Instagram.

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This article appears in May 07 – 13, 2026.