After five years, Mata’s Philippine Cuisine will close its doors this weekend
There may be dozens of Filipino restaurants in the greater Tampa Bay area, but a fan favorite is unfortunately closing its doors in a few days. After five years at 4350 W Waters Ave #102, the family-owned and operated Mata’s Philippine Cuisine will serve its last customers on Sunday, Dec. 22. The restaurant’s ownership took to social media earlier this month to announce their imminent closure, but didn’t share any reasons that lead to it. However, Lena Mata—who runs the eatery with her parents and sister—tells Creative Loafing Tampa Bay that her parents, Delio and Ellen Mata, are simply retiring since they are both in their early seventies. This weekend is Mata’s last day open for regular service, and folks have until Sunday to place a holiday catering order for pick-up on Christmas Eve. – Kyla Fields
St. Petersburg’s first Sweetgreen is now open on Central Avenue
A highly-anticipated, salad-centric restaurant just opened its doors in the heart of downtown St. Pete. The Burg’s first Sweetgreen, located at 1114 Central Ave. in the Edge District, made its debut last week and is now dishing out beloved salads, grain bowls and protein plates that the California-based chain is known for. St. Pete’s new spot for healthy eats shares the same menu as the rest of the Sweetgreens in the country, which includes options like its hot honey chicken protein plate with quinoa, roasted sweet potatoes, veggie slaw, crispy onions and honey mustard sauce, or thepopular “Super Green Goddess” salad with shredded kale, baby spinach, sweet potatoes, cabbage, broccoli, almonds, chickpeas, carrots and green goddess dressing. While there’s a variety of pre-built options on the Sweetgreen menu—from caramelized garlic steak and maple-glazed brussels sprouts to chicken pesto parm and vegetarian options like tofu and mushrooms—the concept also allows customers to build their own bowls or salads. You can start with a base of greens, quinoa, wild or white rice, and add whatever protein, vegetables, sauces and other toppings you’d like. – Kyla Fields
Twin Peaks will open a new ‘sports lodge’ in Brandon next year
Not to be confused for the David Lynch ’80s television show of the same name, a Texas-based “sports lodge” chain called Twin Peaks will open a new location in Brandon early next year. Located at 136 Brandon Town Center Drive, the new “breastaurant” outpost will celebrate its grand opening at 10:30 a.m on Feb. 25. “Our new Brandon lodge is a testament to our commitment to serving sports fans across Florida,” said Joe Hummel, CEO of Twin Peaks in a statement. “This location is built to deliver an unmatched dining and sports-viewing experience, bringing our high-quality food and drinks to even more guests in the Greater Tampa area.” The new sports lodge will include two bars, 70 TVs and an outdoor patio, where customers can enjoy starters such as the Peaks Sampler, flatbread pizzas and grilled wings with any of the 29-degree served draft beers. The made-from-scratch bites will be delivered, as always, by the “Twin Peak Girls,” who typically wear revealing, red plaid midrifts.– Julia Saad
Tampa Bay’s first drive-thru Shake Shack opening in Wesley Chapel
You’ll no longer have to get out of your car to get a Shack burger, crinkle cut fries and a shake. Tampa Bay’s first Shake Shack drive-thru is set to open on Friday, at 25600 Sierra Center Blvd. in Wesley Chapel, according to the Tampa Bay Business Journal. For those of you that prefer to use your legs, the new location will have both indoor seating and a drive-thru. Known for their milkshake and bacon cheese fries combos, the fan-favorite also offers limited time holiday shakes, such as the Chocolate Yule Log and Christmas Cookie Shake. Like most snowbirds, it found its way to Florida, now with over 20 locations opened in the state. The first Tampa Bay location opened in 2021, as CL previously reported. This will be the third Shake Shack in the Bay area. – Julia Saad
New rooftop bar Sparrow opens in St. Petersburg
A new bar with some elevated views is about to debut in St. Petersburg. St. Petersburg’s new rooftop bar Sparrow is set to open in the heart of the Edge District this Friday, Dec. 20, on the top floor of the Moxy Hotel, located at 1234 Central Ave. The cocktail bar, with its first location in Fort Lauderdale, is open Thursday though Saturday, and offers a dinner, dessert and a beverage menu. The happy hour menu is served from 5-7 p.m., with classic cocktails, spirits, beer and wine options, all ranging from $5-10. The happy hour menu also includes small bites such as pork dumplings, spring rolls and chicken skewers. After 7 p.m., drinks are around $14-21, while also offering bottle service for larger parties. – Julia Saad
Tampa’s Jay Luigi Soho opens this week in former Luv Child location
Three years after the popular fast casual Italian spot made its debut in St. Petersburg, South Tampa now has a Jay Luigi closer to home. Last July, Ciccio Restaurant Group (CRG) closed Cuban concept Luv Child, located 516 S Howard Ave, with plans to eventually replace it with a Jay Luigi. Five months later Jay Luigi Soho is now ready to open on Thursday, Dec. 19, from 4 p.m.- 10 p.m. Jay Luigi known for its fresh pasta and naturally fermented pizzas. Brunch specials are a weekend only event, on Saturday and Sunday until 3 p.m. The new Jay Luigi Soho is open for lunch and dinner. – Julia Saad
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This article appears in Dec 19-25, 2024.