St. Petersburg Italian restaurant BellaBrava has been holding its own on bustling Beach Drive for almost 10 years now, despite droves of culinary competition that surrounds it. The upscale eatery now moves into a new phase by expanding to the other side of the bridge with a second location in Midtown Tampa.
An official statement from Bromley Companies, says that its new 4,500-square-foot second location is slated to open in early 2021—right before the Super Bowl takes over Tampa.
The new BellaBrava restaurant is a small addition to the Midtown Tampa’s $500 million, multi-building development plan, which brings brand new apartment complexes, office towers, a dual-branded Aloft and Element hotel, and Tampa Bay’s biggest Whole Foods to the southeast corner of N. Dale Mabry Highway and I-275.
“After searching for a location in Tampa the past couple of years, we were thrilled to discover Midtown Tampa,” says Robert Sanderson, managing partner of BellaBrava, in an official statement. “We were inspired by the success of our BellaBrava location on Beach Drive in the heart of an exciting, urban neighborhood and searched for a similar type of location in Tampa where we could become trailblazers again at our next urban destination.”
Bellabrava will open alongside Tampa Bay’s first Shake Shack—which is also heading to Midtown Tampa early next year.
Expect Bellabrava’s second location to have the same popular Italian offerings that gave the original St. Pete eatery its acclaimed reputation (built-to-order pizzas, fresh pastas, soups and salads fill its stacked menu, which also offers many vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free options.)
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