International Plaza has welcomed yet another heavy-hitter to their list of restaurants, Whiskey Cake Bar & Kitchen. The seventh location of the concept made its debut this past Monday on Bay Street, 2223 N Westshore Blvd.
The restaurant offers just over 500 bourbons, whiskeys, and ryes — making it one of the largest whiskey libraries in the country.
Originating in Texas, Whiskey Cake was dreamt up in 2010 by founder Randy DeWitt, with the simple logic that men love whiskey and women love cake — “but that’s definitely not the case now,” Whiskey Cake Holdings CEO Steve Shlemon says, “I think he got it backwards.” The restaurant has noticed their clientele demographic leveling out when it comes to enjoying their mass amount of spirits over the last 10 years.
The 8,000-sq.-foot restaurant offers booth, community table and bar seating. With industrial lighting and rustic accents, the aesthetic transports you out of a shopping mall mindset and into a space worthy of an intimate date night out.
“We decided to open Whiskey Cake in Tampa for a few reasons: It’s a very vibrant, up-and-coming city; the people there love to dine out, and it’s not seasonal,” explains Shlemon.
The “farm-to-fork” restaurant will showcase made-from-scratch menu items including sandwiches, deviled eggs with seasonal toppings, and their spin on chicken with waffles topped with creamed gravy-topped and fresh maple syrup.
“We call what we do ‘farm to fork, garden to glass.’ We’re sourcing everything fresh from local farms. There’s a big demand for what we offer in the Tampa Bay market.” Shelmon adds.
The eatery will solely be offering dinner service, beginning at 4 p.m., until the following week when it’ll expand for lunch hours on March 18th. Mark your calendars for the addition of weekend brunch debuting March 23rd.
Whiskey Cake kicked off their grand opening by partnering with Metropolitan Ministries, donating 50 percent of all proceeds.
“We chose Metropolitan Ministries because of the incredible work they do and the impact they make in Tampa. Their programs help so many people in our community and make it a better place to live,” Shlemon says.
Once operating for both lunch and dinner service, hours will expand to 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. until midnight Friday and Saturday, and 9 a.m.-10 p.m. on Sundays.
Whiskey Cake hosts happy hour Monday through Friday twice a day at 3-6 p.m. 9-11 p.m.
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