Tampa Bay openings to look forward to in 2023

Bernadette Berdychowski, Tampa Bay Times
Updated ·5 min read

More brands will make their Tampa Bay debut and some well-known names have expansion plans in the works this year.

In 2022, Tampa Bay saw the opening of if its first Sweetgreen, a fast-casual restaurant chain known for their salads. On St. Petersburg’s Central Avenue, the popular downtown shopping destination added the vintage cocktail bar Lost and Found, gift and home decor shop The Canary, an ice cream shop with a breakfast twist Cereal Bar, and more. More than 50 new businesses opened in Wesley Chapel last year with the launch of the shipping container park The Krate.

Looking into 2023, Tampa Bay will get its first Raising Cane’s, the fast food chicken finger chain with a cult following. Another Sweetgreens will open and a slate of restaurants are coming to one of Tampa’s largest new developments.

Here’s a few openings to watch out for in the new year.

RAISING CANE’S

The popular Louisiana-based fast food restaurant will open its doors to Tampa Bay this year. The chain is popular for its tangy Cane’s sauce, Texas toast and chicken fingers has multiple locations in development across Tampa, Brandon, Carrollwood and two restaurants in Clearwater, Raising Cane’s co-CEO AJ Kumaran told the Tampa Bay Times last year. Raising Cane’s is currently hiring for its Gulf to Bay restaurant.

  • Address: 2525 Gulf to Bay Blvd, Clearwater

  • Expected opening: End of January

  • Address: 4835 East Bay Drive, Largo

  • Expected opening: February

GOLF ENTERTAINMENT COMPLEXES

Golf attractions are coming to both sides of the bay. Tiger Woods is expanding his PopStroke golf courses, designed by Woods and the TGR Design team, to Lutz’s Cypress Creek Town Center. It’ll have putting courses for both new and experienced players plus dining and a playground.

In St. Petersburg, Topgolf’s second Tampa Bay location began construction last summer after long delays. It’s set to have 100 climate-controlled bays for golf games, 200 televisions, a rooftop terrace, and a bar and restaurant.

PopStroke

  • Address: 25297 Sierra Center Blvd, Lutz

  • Expected opening: Early 2023

Topgolf

  • Address: 220 Carillon Parkway, St. Petersburg

  • Expected opening: Late 2023

GOOD NIGHT JOHN BOY

Coming soon to the old Ringside Cafe, a place where you can dance, you can jive and have the time of your life.

Cleveland-based Good Night John Boy will open its second disco-themed nightclub in downtown St. Petersburg. DJs will play hits from the 1970s, ′80s and also some modern music. The interior decor will have a vintage flair with a light up dance floor, disco ball and memorabilia from the disco era.

  • Address: 16 Second St. N, St. Petersburg

  • Expected opening: February or March

WATER STREET TAMPA RESTAURANTS

The downtown Tampa development is expanding as a dining scene with the openings of several restaurants by award-winning chefs and the popular chain Wagamama. Some of the restaurants will be a part of the new apartment towers that opened their doors last year at Water Street Tampa, which is led by Tampa Bay Lightning owner Jeff Vinik’s and Bill Gates’ Cascade Investment’s Strategic Property Partners. Representatives from the real estate firm did not provide exact opening dates for some dining locations.

Wagamama

It’ll be Florida’s first location of the restaurant chain inspired by Japanese ramen bars.

  • Address: 1050 Water Street, Tampa

  • Expected opening: Early 2023

Toastique

This gourmet toast and juice bar chain is opening its first Tampa Bay location.

  • Address: 1011 E Cumberland Ave, Tampa

  • Expected opening: Early 2023

Boulon Brasserie

This will be a French restaurant, café with a bar on the ground floor of the Thousand and One building.

  • Address: 1001 Water Street, Tampa

Predalina

Opening at the Cora apartment building, this seafood-based Mediterranean restaurant from the owners of Oxford Exchange will also have a home decor shop.

  • Address: 1011 E Cumberland Ave, Tampa

The Pearl

This restaurant inside the Heron building will have a tavern and oyster room from Cameron Mitchell Restaurants, the Ohio-based company behind Ocean Prime.

  • Address: 815 Water Street, Tampa

Ash

At the Asher building, this Italian-inspired restaurant comes from Tampa’s Chef Ferrell Alvarez and the team behind Michelin Bib Gourmand award-winning Rooster and the Till.

  • Address: Asher, 1050 Water Street

HYDE PARK VILLAGE

The outdoor Tampa mall that boomed during the pandemic is adding another batch of businesses after 2022 saw the openings of Public Studio, Warby Parker, Wolford and fashion boutiques Zimmermann and rag & bone.

Palihouse Hyde Park Village

Hyde Park is adding its first hotel to its mix over the On Swann restaurant. The boutique hotel comes from the hospitality firm Palisociety, a Los Angeles-based hotel franchise, that uses the character of the neighborhood its opening in to inspire its interior design.

  • Address: 1509 W Swann Ave, Tampa

  • Expected opening: Late 2023

The Salty

This popular gourmet donut shop that’s grown nationally got its start in Miami’s Wynwood neighborhood. It sells inventive donut flavors like guava with cheese, white chocolate tres leches and pumpkin spice french toast.

  • Address: 1519 West Swann Ave, Tampa

  • Expected opening: Early 2023

Bouzy

This wine bar from Cru Cellars will feature different variations of the bubbly wines named after the Champagne region of France with its menu of more than 75 sparkling wines.

  • Address: 1640 West Snow Avenue, Tampa

  • Expected opening: Early 2023

Sweetgreen

The fast-casual salad bowl chain has its sights on another Tampa spot after debuting in Tampa Heights earlier in December.

  • Address: 722 South Village Circle, Tampa

  • Expected opening: Early 2023

Gorjana

The southern California jewelry brand is opening its first Florida location in Tampa’s Hyde Park Village. Gorjana, which is coastal-inspired, sells necklaces, earrings, bracelets and custom engraved pieces.

  • Address: 1602 W. Snow Avenue, Tampa

  • Expected opening: Jan. 10

ELEV8

A former Sears department store at a Citrus Park mall is about to transformed into an entertainment center.

Elev8, run by South Florida-based PrimeTime Amusements, will have go-kart racing tracks, retro arcade, laser tag, mini golf, a kid zone, e-sports, bowling and also a restaurant and bar in the 128,000-square-foot space. It was supposed to debut at the end of last year at Citrus Park Town Center, which used to be called Westfield Citrus Park, but according to an emailed statement, the attraction is eyeing a later date.

  • Address: 8021 Citrus Park Town, Tampa

  • Expected opening: Spring 2023

Clarification: This story has been updated to include the new opening date of Gorjana in Hyde Part Village.