After nearly two years in Ybor City, Tampa chef Suzanne “Suz” Lara says she will close Lara Apothecary Bar & Bazaar (stylized “LARA”) after the final service on Sunday, Nov. 22.
In a Wednesday afternoon social media post. Chef Suz did not give an exact reason for the closure, but did point to a lack of a regular dinner crowd as a factor.
“The reality is that we haven’t seen the consistent dine-in business needed to sustain a place like LARA,” wrote Chef Suz. “And while I wholeheartedly believe that cities need places like this — spaces that take risks, nurture creativity, and bring people together — we’re also operating in an incredibly difficult economy. Without the steady support and resources needed to grow, LARA will never become what it was originally conceived to be.”
Located at 1919 E 7th Ave., in the former Stone Soup Company location, Lara opened its doors in February of 2025 touting its “apothecary” bar (which is a fancy term for a craft cocktail bar with a lot of bottles), serving a variety of both N/A and alcoholic cocktails—plus a marketplace filled with specialized goods and a food program curated by Chef Suz.
The menu offered shareable small plates, and regularly paid homage to Tampa’s culinary history and Chef Suz’s journey, with dishes like a picadillo tar-tar, the soy-cured Korean “drug eggs,” and a chicken liver mousse served with a guava jam. It also offered longanisa hot dogs on brioche, palomilla steak sandwiches and chochoyotes. The foie gras french toast was a melty, fatty brunch gem.
“I know some may think I’m crazy for making this decision. Believe me, I’ve run the numbers 1000 times, looked at it from every angle, and wrestled with every possibility,” continued Chef Suz. “But rather than continue to stretch it thin, slowly bleed it dry, or turn it into a dive bar – I’ve decided it’s time to let it go.”
Chef Suz started her culinary journey as a dishwasher at Tampa’s now-closed Viva La Frida, eventually becoming a line cook. She then helped open Ella’s Americana Folk Art Cafe (now Duff’s) and helmed its kitchen as the Executive Chef for about a decade before helping open Cass Street Deli in 2019. She also worked as Rooster & the Till’s sous chef in 2021.
In her post, Chef Suz thanked the team that put its heart into the concept and carried her dream, adding that everyone who walked through the doors made it worthwhile.
“You made this experience meaningful in ways that go far beyond a P&L sheet,” she added. “Some things are worth dreaming into existence, even if they aren’t meant to last forever.”
On social media, Lara—which graciously hosted a party for Creative Loafing Tampa Bay’s Best of the Bay hangover series last year—shared a calendar of its final events including game nights (dominoes, mahjong), a fundraiser for the Tampa Bay abortion fund, the “FEED” zine release, and more.
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UPDATED 11/04/26 3:56 p.m. Updated to mention Lara’s special events schedule for the final month of service.
This article appears in Oct. 29 – Nov. 04, 2026.
