Acclaimed Chef Ferrell Alvarez, owner of Nebraska Mini Mart, Gallito, Dang Dude and the Bib Gourmand Award-winning restaurant Rooster & the Till, is opening a brand new restaurant in Tampa just down the road from Sparkman Wharf. Strategic Property Partners, LLC (“SPP”) today announced the addition of a new restaurant concept from Proper House Group and Chef Ferrell Alvarez at Water Street Tampa. Ash will offer Italian-inspired cuisine and features an extensive outdoor patio. The new full-service restaurant marks Proper House Group and Alvarez’s third endeavor in the mixed-use district. Ash is slated to open in spring 2023 on the ground floor of Asher, the district’s newest residential development that also features the largest boutique apartment hotel from ROOST.
“Proper House Group and Chef Ferrell Alvarez are industry veterans with a proven track record,” said Lee Schaffler, Chief Portfolio Officer for SPP. “Their concepts at Sparkman Wharf and in Seminole Heights are incredibly successful, so we look forward to watching them captivate the Water Street Tampa community as the district establishes itself as the city’s go-to dining destination.”
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Ash by Ferrell Alvarez opening in Water Street Tampa
Encompassing 2,400 square feet of indoor dining space with an additional 1,000 square feet of outdoor dining space, Ash adds to the robust dining scene on Water Street. The restaurant will be open for lunch and dinner seven days a week and will serve brunch in the future. The menu will offer a focused yet fun and playful cuisine with Italian undertones. Ash joins Wagamama and Synovus on the ground floor of Asher.
Co-owned by Chef Ferrell Alvarez — a 2017 James Beard Foundation semi-finalist — business partner and restaurateur Ty Rodriguez, and entrepreneur Chon Nguyen, Proper House Group is a Tampa-based hospitality group known for its acclaimed restaurants in the Tampa Bay region, including Rooster & the Till (recipient of 2022 Florida Michelin Guide, Bib Gourmand Award), Nebraska Mini Mart in Seminole Heights, Gallito Taqueria, with locations at Sparkman Wharf and The Joinery, and Dang Dude, which opened at Sparkman Wharf earlier this year. The group has also partnered with their Director of Operations, Myles Gallagher on this restaurant.
Crafting a third delicious offering in the Water Street neighborhood
“As partners of SPP with two current concepts at Sparkman Wharf, being able to bring Ash to fruition in Water Street Tampa is very humbling for us,” said Ferrell Alvarez, Chef and Co-owner of Proper House Group. “We look forward to sharing the company of the district’s other restaurants and can’t wait to be a part of something special in our city. Our guests can expect to experience the same creative passion that has made Rooster & the Till such a special place in Seminole Heights.”
The restaurant’s name references the ash tree, a symbol of creative expression, productivity, strength and longevity — the same as SPP’s residential building, Asher. Proper House Group is collaborating with Houston, Texas-based interior design studio, Gin Design Group and Tampa-based graphic design studio, Pep Rally Inc. on the design of the restaurant and branding. Led by founder Gin Braverman, Gin Design Group manifested an interior that exudes effortless sophistication with arched lighting elements, rich neutrals and textural touchpoints with a focus on the open kitchen and a dining room crowned with a sculptural ash tree. 
Evoking nature in the restaurant design
According to Pep Rally Inc., the logo design harkens back to the ash tree and evokes nature with gentle sweeping lines that emulate upward-reaching tree branches, as well as an arch that serves as an ancient symbol of new beginnings. The warm, earthy colors in the logo reference the terrazzo and soft, back-lit coves present in the interior design.
Ash will complement Water Street Tampa’s growing retail landscape, which will also be home to Predalina, Boulon Brasserie, Wagamama, The Pearl, Small Giant Bar & Restaurant, Wine on Water, Chill Bros. Scoop Shop and MiniLuxe, along with the currently open GreenWise Market and Naked Farmer.
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