The Tampa Bay restaurants and bars that have closed since the beginning of the pandemic

Cafe Ponte

13505 Icot Blvd., Clearwater
After 18 years of serving the Tampa Bay community with its modern Italian cuisine and fine dining atmosphere, Cafe Ponte closed down for good following complications stemming from the pandemic. However, last year the owners opened a new Italian restaurant, OLIVIA, in Tampa.

Photo via Cafe Ponte/Facebook

Ballyhoo Grill

7604 Ehrlich Rd., Citrus Park
Citrus Park fish camp staple Ballyhoo Grill closed its doors on Sunday, Sept. 26. Some form of the local favorite has sat at the corner of Ehrlich Road and Gunn Highway since the 1910s.

The Bunker 

  1907 N. 19th St., Ybor City
After online rumors began circulating, Ybor City's The Bunker employees confirmed its closure. Nicknamed "Ybor's living room" by many, the cafe had acted as a community hub for coffee drinkers and art show and DIY concertgoers since its opening in 2006, after a restoration of the building, which has been standing in the district since 1924. A new coffee shop, Foundation, now operates out of the space.

Photo via Michael M. Sinclair

Hall on Franklin

701 N. Franklin St., Tampa
Tampa's Hall on Franklin, the area's first food hall, closed in mid December of 2020 following a lawsuit with the landlord. As great as the original Franklin Street site was, there are certain things we were not able to do there, such as outside dining, adding a private dining room and other amenities that are especially important amid COVID-19, founder Jamal Wilson told CL. Wilson's next concept, Hall at Midtown, is expected to open in 2022 but a new concept—Asian food hall Urban Hawkers—has eyes on opening this year within the old Hall space.
Photo via Colin Wolf

Four Green Fields Irish Pub

205 W. Platt St, Tampa
Popular Irish pub Four Green Fields closed in early December, 2020 but have no fear because the original thatched roof's legacy will live on at a forthcoming location near Channelside. The restaurant has famously hosted musical legends like Sinead O'Connor, The Wolfe Tones, Paddy Reilly as well as the late Tommy Makem. A rep from Four Green Fields told Creative Loafing Tampa that the restaurant does not have an official grand opening date in mind for the forthcoming Channelside location.
Photo via Four Green Fields Irish Pub/Facebook

Roy’s

4342 W. Boy Scout Blvd., Tampa
A Tampa Bay staple since 1999, Roy's closed down in February of 2020. Its upscale, heavily seafood-focused cuisine can still be enjoyed, though, at one of its Orlando, Bonita Springs or Jacksonville Beach locations.

Photo via Google Maps

Nojaks

305 E Polk St., Tampa
Vegan burger joint Nojaks closed in February with hopes of relocation. The same owners, but different team, brought in Supernatural Food and Wine with “mean sandwiches” and Best of the Bay-winning vegan donuts.

Locale Market 

179 2nd Ave. N., St. Petersburg
St. Pete's Locale Market closed this January, stating it would be replaced by the Sundial plaza's forthcoming food hall. The two-story Locale Market acted as a hub for those wanting to explore new eating experiences, offering grab-and-go options, dry goods and FarmTable Cucina located on its second floor.

Photo via Locale Market/Facebook

Roux  

4205 S. MacDill Ave., Tampa
The South Tampa creole restaurant closed for good after serving cajun and creole dishes since 2014. The spot’s all-you-can-eat crawfish boil was just one of Roux’s creative New Orleans-style comfort food eats. The married couple owners also own and operate three Datz locations, Dough and Dr. BBQ.

Stack 'n' Sizzle

401 49th St. S., St. Petersburg
A Southern-inspired comfort food joint, Stack 'n' Sizzle served both hefty stacks of pancakes and French toast as well as fried catfish and country fried steak in St. Pete.

Photo via Stack 'n' Sizzle/Facebook

Iberian Rooster

475 N Central Ave., St. Petersburg
Iberian Rooster was a staple in downtown St. Pete since its opening a little over four years ago, thanks to its three-in-one space with a bar, restaurant, which became Avo's Kitchen in 2020, and SubCentral, the basement event space. "I'm just really happy to give St. Pete a place that was really special," owner Russell Andrade told CL.

Sweet Tomatoes

Multiple locations
While not specific to Tampa, Sweet Tomatoes' health-focused buffet-style eats could be found at seven locations in the Tampa Bay area, until 2020, when the parent company announced all of its locations would be closing for good.

Photo via Google Maps

La Tropicana Cafe

1822 E. 7th Ave., Ybor City
A spot rich in Ybor City history and traditional Cuban fare, La Tropicana Cafe closed for good following a decrease in business due to COVID-19. Acting as a hub for immigrants when it first opened in 1963, La Tropicana had been serving Cuban sandwiches for almost six decades. The current operator's Gio's Cuban Cafe remains open across the street, and a new business—Daddy O's Patio—recently opened within the old Tropicana.

Photo via Google Maps

Foundation Coffee

1607 N. Franklin St., Tampa
Tampa Heights lost its Foundation Coffee location in March of 2020. Specializing in handcrafted coffees, teas and fresh-baked bakery options, the modern coffee shop is succeeded by Foundation Coffee's Riverview location and has since opened a new cafe at the old Bunker in Ybor City.

Photo via Foundation Coffee/Facebook

Babalu 

  9246 4th St. N, St. Petersburg
Having served classic comfort eats since 1964, family bar and restaurant Babalu closed in January 2020. Known for its classic dishes like jumbo chicken wings, Babalu served locals for more than 30 years before its closing.

Hofbräuhaus 

  123 Fourth St. S., St. Petersburg
An iconic spot for German-inspired atmosphere and eats, St. Pete's Hofbräuhaus closed down in early March 2020 after serving the St. Pete community since 2015. The bar was facing an eviction lawsuit over late rent since October.

Photo via Google Maps

Bella Italia

10801 Starkey Rd., Largo
Bella Italia opened in 1981 and spent its almost 40 years in business offering guests classic Italian meals, like pizza and pasta dishes, before its closing in February 2020. In a Facebook post, the restaurant cited the rising costs of food, rent and the decline of the shopping center as its downfall.

Photo via Google Maps

FarmTable Cucina  

179 2nd Ave N., St. Petersburg
St. Pete's FarmTable Cucina went out with a bang with an extravagant New Year's afterparty just before closing for good in April 2020. The high end dining spot offered downtown St. Pete specialty drinks and entrees on the second floor of the Locale Market.

Brew D Licious 

667 Central Ave., St. Petersburg
The dog-friendly and very colorful Brew D Licious coffee shop closed permanently after nine years of business. The artsy location served coffee and laid back vibes in its small Central Avenue location.

Photo via Brew D Licious/Facebook

Pour Taproom

225 2nd Ave. N., St., St. Petersburg
Pour Taproom offered selections of self-serve beer and wine on tap, trivia, and a dog-friendly atmosphere. The bar served St. Pete residents for just under three years before closing in September 2020.

Photo via Pour Taproom/Facebook