So long, tentative dates. The grand opening of Ulele, Richard Gonzmart and the Columbia Restaurant Group's ambitious and much-anticipated eatery, will take place at 5 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 26.
The official opening date was confirmed Friday afternoon through a press release sent out by the restaurant group.
Ulele will operate from 5 to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, and 5 to 11 on Friday and Saturday. Though the restaurant will only be open for dinner to start, lunch and brunch hours will be added by fall.
With Keith Sedita as its managing partner, Ulele — housed within the historic steam-powered pump house in Tampa Heights — will launch two weeks after a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the restored Water Works Park, which rests adjacent to the restaurant.
Ulele's cuisine is inspired by early Floridians who used the Hillsborough River's resources, as well as the explorers who came after. Chef Eric Lackey will use seasonal, native-to-the-state ingredients, such as blue crabs and oysters, to ensure the menu has local origins.
