By Nanette Wiser
Our cover star, Fo’ Cheezy Twisted Meltz, is not the first Tampa Bay restaurant to make a mark here, then expand in Florida and beyond. Most notable in St. Pete is Leroy Selmons’ steakhouse and ribs, sadly no longer with us.
Other Florida chains that are homegrown include Burger King (Jacksonville 1953), Sonny’s BBQ (Gainesville 1968), Red Lobster (Lakeland 1968), Olive Garden (Orlando 1982) and Rib City Grill (Ft. Myers 1989).
In Tampa Bay, Bloomin’ Brands’ opened Fleming’s, Outback Steakhouse (South Tampa 1988), Carabba’s Italian Grill, Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar and Aussie Grill and acquired Bonefish from owners Tim Curci and Chris Parker whose first location in St. Pete in 2000 offered casual fine dining and crafted seasonal cocktails before it was trendy. Today, Bloomin’ Brands is one of the world’s largest casual dining companies with approximately 77,000 Team Members and more than 1,450 restaurants worldwide.
Of course, the greatest dining story locally is Hooters, which launched circa 1983 in Clearwater when six businessmen with no restaurant experience whatsoever got together to open a place they couldn’t get kicked out of. True story. More than three decades later, the Hooters brand has grown into an international sensation, with more than 420 Hooters in 29 countries. The servers are still beautiful and the subject of admiration in the annual Hooters calendar.
Both Bloomin’ Brands and Hooters support many local, regional, and national charities including the Jimmy V Foundation for Cancer Research where they established a Breast Cancer Research Grant in the name of Kelly Jo Dowd – the beloved 1998 Hooters Calendar Cover Girl who spent the last years of her life battling breast cancer. To date, Hooters has raised more than 4 million dollars to benefit the V Foundation and the fight against breast cancer. In addition, the Hooters Community Endowment Fund raises money for important local and national charities like the Make-A-Wish Foundation, U.S.O., Special Olympics, American Diabetes Association, Juvenile Diabetes Foundation, and the Muscular Dystrophy Association.
Many local restaurants and coffeehouses are following in the Tampa Bay tradition of launching a fab concept and expanding to other places, especially Caddy’s and Crabby Bill’s. Ciccio Restaurant Group’s Cali restaurants have grown from Tampa to Brandon and St. Pete with more to come.
Columbia Restaurant is a Tampa Bay icon with seven locations, with the best sangria and tapas in town, as well as the famed 1905 salad owned and operated by five generations for more than 115 years. The Columbia’s legendary salad is tossed tableside featuring crisp lettuce with julienne of baked ham, natural Swiss cheese, tomato, olives, grated Romano cheese, Lea & Perrins® Worcestershire sauce and their famous garlic dressing (also for sale).
Other locals with multiple locations include Bella Brava, Pacific Counter, Kahwa, Sea Hags, Grace Restaurant (Two Graces), VIP Mexican, Datz, The Melting Pot and Gigi’s Italian Restaurant, to name a few. One of my go-to spots is the Spanish delight Bulla Gastrobar, the brainchild of Carlos Centurion who launched in Coral Gables, moved to Miami and then to Tampa, Atlanta, Charlotte and other locations. No wonder Paradise is such a popular spot to test out a future franchised restaurant concept, as we continue to evolve into an eaters’ wonderland.