The 20 most-anticipated new restaurants coming to Tampa Bay in 2024

Florida's first drive-thru Wawa

2530 East Bay Dr., Largo
Florida's first Wawa drive-thru will soon debut in Largo. The new concept will not have gas or pre-packaged items found at typical Wawas, but instead feature a limited menu centered around the chain's deli sandwiches, wraps and breakfast Sizzlies. Florida 's first Wawa drive-thru is part of the chain's plan to double its footprint and open 100 new locations around the country by 2030.
Photo via Loopnet

Alter Ego

1050 Water St., Tampa
Described as having “energetic vibes and soulful hospitality,” new cocktail lounge Alter Ego, is opening sometime in spring 2024 on the ground floor of Water Street’s Asher building. “Visualize an experience where curated beats blend seamlessly with sleek monochromatic design, offering intimate nooks and social spaces that redefine the nightlife scene,” Water Street writes about the music-focused space. The new concept, which has a DJ booth, will share a wall with Proper House Group’s sibling Italian restaurant Ash.
Photo via watersttampa/Instagram

Cheeky's

2823 Central Avenue, St. Petersburg
A new raw bar & seafood grill is coming to St. Petersburg’s Grand Central District, and it's from local restauranteur Nate Siegel, co-founder of new American restaurant Willa’s in North Hyde Park. Cheeky's, which is expected to debut sometime in in mid-2024, plans to offer up "fresh seafood, including East Coast oysters, shrimp, fish and daily specials from local waters and the Gulf, along with piping hot bowls of chowder, fried chicken, salads and more," according to a press release.
Rendering Courtesy of Cheeky's

Dunedin Mix

990 Broadway, Dunedin
A new mixed-used food hall called the Dunedin Mix is getting ready to open its doors in Pinellas County. The upcoming food hall will open around the corner from other popular Dunedin concepts like 7venth Sun Brewing, Lucky Lobster Co. and Bon Appétit. The roughly 10,000 square-foot, two-story New Orleans-inspired space is supposed to feature an indoor courtyard and a "French industrialist/mixologist" carousel bar—perhaps a homage to the French Quarter's institutional Carousel Bar & Lounge. In addition to a food hall with several local food concepts, the mixed-used space will also offer live entertainment, cooking classes and host different events, banquets and “boutique pop-ups.”
Photo via dunedinmix/Instagram

The H

1504 S Howard Ave., Tampa
Just when you didn't think it was possible—Hyde Park will soon get a little bougier. The Tampa version of Orlando's popular The H steakhouse is planned for the parcel of land that most recently housed seafood restaurant CopperFish, which closed in 2014 after facing over $700,000 in permitting violations from the City of Tampa. The steakhouse’s flagship restaurant in Orlando is known for its variety of meats–from dry-aged ribeye, NY strips and racks of lamb to kebabs, Japanese wagyu and filet mignon—in addition to a spread of seafood-based dishes, pastas and caviar service. Appetizers include small plates like baked bone marrow, octopus carpaccio, burrata with confit tomatoes, grilled calamari and a variety of salads.
Photo via FleischmanGarciaMaslowski Architecture

Pete’s Bagels Drive-thru

Corner of 4th St S and 25th Ave., St .Petersburg
The gas station-turned-restaurant trend can be found all throughout Tampa Bay, but one local business is giving a historic landmark—one of St. Pete’s oldest gas stations—another shot at life. In addition to its menu of breakfast sandwiches and freshly-baked bagels—ranging from expected flavors like everything, poppyseed and sesame to unique offerings like sun-dried tomato and feta and jalapeño—the new Pete’s location will also offer a robust coffee program from Look Alive Coffee, a local, Burg’-based roaster. The 326 square-foot building will boast a walk-up window and outdoor seating in addition to its drive-thru.
Photo via Pete’s General/Facebook

Ling's Dumplings and Han Hand Rolls

1910 N Ola Ave., Tampa
There's always different food stalls moving in and out of Armature Works' Heights Public Market, but one local restaurant company is responsible for quite a few new concepts. As you probably noticed, there’s construction happening on Cru Cellar’s recently-closed space and Zukku Sushi’s previous location. After these renovations, there will be enough room for Zukku Sushi 2.0 and its new sibling concepts Ling's Dumplings and Han Hand Rolls. In addition to its three upcoming concepts inside of Armature Works, Zukku Sushi also operates Zukku-San in Wesley Chapel and burrito and bowl restaurants Āto in Lakeland and Wesley Chapel. There's also a Zukku Sushi location in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Photo via zukkusushitpa/Facebook

Streetlight Taco

4004 Henderson Blvd., Tampa
Chef-partner Michael Brannock told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay that his debut restaurant, Streetlight Taco, hoped to open its doors sometime last fall, but now it looks like that got pushed back slightly. Located at 4004 Henderson Blvd. in South Tampa’s Palma Ceia neighborhood, this “hyper-traditional,” 2,500 square-foot restaurant will boast a capacity of about 100. Brannock's partners in Streetlight Taco are Jack Murray and Nick Reader, two of the managing partners of Rocca, the modern Italian restaurant that took home one of Tampa’s first Michelin stars earlier this year.
Photo via Michael Brannock

Kinjo

226 S Blvd., Tampa
Noble Rice and Koya will soon get a third sibling, creating a trifecta of high-end Japanese fare in South Tampa. While Italian-Japanese food might be a new concept to Tampa Bay’s foodies, Wafu-Italian or “Itameshi-style” cuisine has been a fine dining trend throughout Europe and Asia for quite some time. Kinjo's full-service bar loaded with wine, sake and spirits will be joined by an intimate menu of fresh pastas, crudo, sashimi, and a variety of meats and cheeses cured in-house.
Rendering via MICO Works

Lara

No exact address announced, Tampa
Seasoned Tampa chef Suzanne Lara, who was widely known as Suzanne Crouch before getting married, recently announced the opening of her upcoming, bar, from-scratch kitchen and artisan marketplace. The multifaceted concept deemed “Lara” (an ode to her newly-acquired last name), is set to open sometime in 2024. Although a building for this exciting culinary and hospitality concept has yet to be secured, Suzanne tells Creative Loafing Tampa Bay that Tampa Heights is the ideal neighborhood due to its centralized location. Lara will offer three unique experiences—a bar, a bazaar full of locally-grown produce, artisan goods and hard-to-find ingredients and supplies for chefs, and an intimate kitchen which Suzanne describes as Lara’s “supporting member.” Suzanne stresses that Lara’s bar won’t draw the typical late night, rowdy crowd one might expect. She tells CL that it will be more of a well-rounded beverage bar inspired by the Greek word “pharmakeia,” which was once used to describe a wide range of elixirs, remedies and apothecaries.
Photo via chef_suz_lara/Instagram

Ash

1050 Water St., Tampa
Last year, Strategic Property Partners announced its newest concept, Ash, which will debut on the ground floor of Water Street Tampa’s Asher building, the district's newest residential development. The new restaurant is brought to downtown Tampa by a familiar name: Proper House Group (PHG), the minds behind Rooster & The Till, Nebraska Mini-Mart and more. PHG said that its latest concept will specialize in Italian-inspired cuisine and boast an extensive outdoor patio. Originally, the 2,400 square-foot restaurant and its accompanying 1,000 square-foot patio was scheduled to debut in the spring of 2023. As of now, the rumor is it's ready to pop any day now.
Photo via Ash/Instagram

Olivia

225 1st Ave. N, St. Petersburg
Riding off the success of his new Tampa restaurant Ponte Modern American, a renowned local chef is ready to tackle his next culinary endeavor. James Beard semifinalist Chef Chris Ponte will soon open a downtown St. Pete location of popular Italian restaurant Olivia (stylized "OLIVIA"), which currently resides in South Tampa. His very first restaurant and only concept in Pinellas County, Clearwater's Cafe Ponte, closed in spring of 2020 after Ponte was unable to reach a lease renewal agreement with his landlord.
Photo via Olivia

Bavaro’s

468 Mandalay Ave., Clearwater Beach
Clearwater Beach’s Bavaro’s will open out of a 1,800 square-foot parcel at 468 Mandalay Ave. any day now. The beach-adjacent space—which formerly housed a real estate office—will undergo about $1 million dollars worth of renovations before making its debut. Owner Dan Bavaro told TBBJ that his “company is building an infrastructure for statewide expansion,” which may include additional airport locations throughout the Sunshine State. Bavaro’s first made its Tampa Bay debut in 2009, claiming to be the “first traditional Neapolitan Pizzeria in the state of Florida.” Alongside ‘za baked in traditional wood-fired ovens, the Italian restaurant also dishes out roasted Gulf oysters, charcuterie boards, salads, soups, classic pastas and desserts like cannolis, tiramisu and Nutella pizzas.
Photo via bavarobrand/Facebook

Forbici

153 2nd Ave. N, St. Petersburg
Forbici’s second location is slated to open sometime in 2024 within downtown St. Pete’s Sundial mall, marking the beginning of the local brand’s possible nationwide expansion. Co-owner Jeff Gigante—who operates Forbici with partner Joseph Guggino under the Next Level Brands umbrella—estimates that 30-40 locations of the Italian restaurant could eventually open throughout the country. St. Pete’s upcoming Forbici will take up 7,000 square-feet, and will include an indoor-outdoor bar, as well as a 3,000 square-foot shaded patio. The concept will open out of Locale Market’s former parcel, which closed in early 2020 after now-defunct plans for Sundial’s food hall were announced.
Photo via eatforbici/Facebook

Late Start Brewing

1018 E Cass St., Tampa
Tampa-based company Late Start Brewing started building out its upcoming location in 2022, and plans to debut ... well, hopefully soon. Formerly a convenience store, the almost 2,500 square-foot building will feature a dining room and bar area that will accommodate 50 people, with outdoor seating with picnic tables for approximately 50 more people. Late Start is no stranger to Tampa and is currently located inside of Pour House in the Channelside District, where you can sip on the brewery’s collaborative ales, lagers and stouts.
Photo via Late Start Brewing/Facebook

Perry's Porch

600 2nd Ave. NE, St. Petersburg
The folks behind some of St. Pete's best bars are opening a new concept that will surely boast one of the most scenic waterfront views in all of The Burg.' Perry's Porch is a new restaurant that will open adjacent to the St. Pete Pier and the St. Petersburg Museum of History — a space that was most recently occupied by craft beer spot Hops and Props. This upcoming concept will be a combination of open-air and indoor seating, since its name is a homage to the 20th century developer Perry Snell, who’s known for revitalizing several St. Pete neighborhoods with his unique approach to architecture, nature, and walkability. No exact opening date has been announced.
Photo via St. Petersburg Museum of History

Noble Tavern

1650 Central Ave., St. Petersburg
Noble Tavern, which is a collaborative effort between Noble Crust and Fat Beet Farm Kitchen & Bakery, is hoping to debut sometime soon. The restaurant will be located in the newly built Tru by Hilton St. Petersburg. The spot promises locally-sourced farm fresh flavors from Fat Beet Farm, and the menu will feature classic and craft cocktails, local beer and barrel fresh wines.
Photo via Noble Tavern/Facebook

Dutch Bros

3616 W Ballast Point Blvd., Tampa
One West Coast-based coffee chain (with a cult-like following) has its sights set on the Sunshine State, and recently filed permits to open its first outpost in South Tampa. A 950-square-foot, drive-thru Dutch Bros is in the works for South Tampa’s Sun Bay South neighborhood. Currently, Ballast Point Car Wash occupies that parcel of land, but if Dutch Bros’ plans are approved, the wash will be razed for the coffee shop’s new development. The popular coffee brand is known for its iced lattes, smoothies, teas, sodas, milkshakes, frozen blended coffees and energy drinks—all from the convenience of its drive-thru. Signature drinks include the “Golden Eagle” Dutch freeze blended with vanilla and caramel and the aptly-named “9-1-1” loaded with six shots of espresso, half and half and Irish creme syrup.
Photo via DutchBros/Facebook

Fat Boy's Pizza

No exact address announced
New Orleans-based pizza chain Fat Boy's is making its way to the Bay, and the company claims to have the "World’s Biggest Pizza Slices." The pizza chain has locations in Louisiana and Mississippi, and now plans to open 10 restaurants across the Tampa Bay region in the next few years. Fat Boy's serves up its pizza in either a half-slice, a 10 and 16-inch pie, or a "whopping 30-inch pie." The chain also boast wings, waffle fries, salads, meatballs, daiquiris and a full liquor bar.
Photo via Fat Boy's Pizza/Facebook

Big Chicken

Locations TBA
Big Chicken, the Shaquille O’Neal-owned fast casual concept, is heading to Florida in a massive way. The company recently signed a 45-unit franchising deal with Florida-based commercial hospitality development company DMD Ventures, which means we can expect Big Chicken locations in Orlando, West Palm Beach, Fort Lauderdale and Miami in addition to Tampa Bay. There's currently no timeline for when Tampa Bay's debut Big Chicken franchise will open, a representative for the company told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay. The casual chicken spot's menu is a combination of Shaq's home-cooked childhood favorites and the hottest trending flavors, chock full of chicken sandwiches, tendies and more.
Photo via Photo c/o All Points PR