Water Street Tampa just landed four new restaurants, and one comes from the team behind the celebrated Ocean Prime. These four restaurants join one of the largest mixed use developments in the nation. The allure of a pedestrian-friendly lifestyle in the heart of downtown Tampa is hard to resist.
The new lease-signings underscore the desirability of Water Street Tampa for national and local business owners, as well as its global reputation as a forward-thinking, urban community where creative new concepts can thrive.
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Three of the four new tenants will debut on the ground floors of Cora and Heron, Water Street Tampa’s newest luxury apartment towers now open and currently leasing.
Water Street is the pedestrian-friendly neighborhood of the future
Small Giant Bar & Restaurant, a new neighborhood bar and grill, and Wine on Water, a modern wine and liquor shop, will join Chill Bros to round out the street-level retail experience at Cora, while The Pearl, a restaurant, tavern and oyster room from Cameron Mitchell Restaurants, the company behind Ocean Prime, will make its Tampa debut at Heron, adjacent to GreenWise Market. Hampton Chocolate Factory, an artisan chocolate and dessert shop founded in The Hamptons, will open its flagship store at Sparkman Wharf.
The new tenants bring the total number of retail leases signed at Water Street Tampa this year to well over a dozen. according to a release from Strategic Property Partners.
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With Water Street Tampa’s Phase One completing soon, the new additions will only elevate the already diverse array of retail offerings available throughout the 56-acre development.
“Every new retailer that has signed a lease at Water Street Tampa has helped us to create a more well rounded neighborhood that we know residents, office workers, and guests will look forward to experiencing time and again,” said Lee Schaffler, Chief Portfolio Officer for SPP.
At Cora, Small Giant Bar & Restaurant and Wine on Water will be opening in Spring 2022.
Ohio-style pizza & modern liquor/wine store coming soon
The two new concepts are the latest innovations from the minds of Jennifer and Torrey Bingham, the founders of Tampa based Cru Hospitality Group. Small Giant will be a local neighborhood bar serving craft beers and cocktails and bringing Ohio-style pizza to Tampa for the first time.
Next door, Wine on Water will offer over 500 selections of wine and liquor, with a focus on small-production wines. There will be a rotating by-the-glass list that can be enjoyed in a beautifully landscaped outdoor garden, which guests can reserve for private events and dinners. A series of educational classes and tastings will also be available for bookings throughout the year.
“We see the vision that the Water Street Tampa team has of the burgeoning neighborhood, and we’re excited to be part of the fabric of life for those that work and live here,” said Jennifer Bingham. “Small Giant will be their favorite corner bar to have a night out with friends or catch the game. If they want to relax at home with some wine or a favorite cocktail, then the bottles at Wine on Water are just moments away.”
New spot for oysters in Water Street Tampa
The Pearl, located in the Heron building, is a unique dining experience from Cameron Mitchell Restaurants, a privately held group known for its outstanding cuisine and genuine hospitality. The Water Street Tampa location is the restaurant’s first of this concept in Florida.
Cameron Mitchell Restaruants owns the popular upscale seafood & steakhouse, Ocean Prime, which opened at International Plaza in 2009, of which there are 17 locations coast-to-coast. The Pearl will introduce made-from-scratch, shareable plates and seasonal oysters complemented by handcrafted cocktails, a carefully curated wine list and a rotating selection of ales, lagers and stouts. The Pearl is inspired by vintage, urban design and showcases eclectic décor that is both stylish and nostalgic.
“The Water Street Tampa community will have direct access to some of the best cuisine in town,” added Susan Martin, Vice President of Retail and Place Management for SPP. “A huge part of the experience of living and working here is the variety of retailers at your doorstep. The live-work-play lifestyle was crucial to our retail leasing process, and we’re proud to announce such a diverse group of retailers.”
Chocolate from the Hamptons arriving in Downtown Tampa
In addition to the three new retailers at Cora and Heron, New York import Hampton Chocolate Factory will open this December at Sparkman Wharf. The flagship store will introduce locally made decadent chocolates and treats, as well as a high-end line of creative desserts sourced from top pastry chefs in Tampa. In addition to chocolate desserts and gifts, the shop will serve ice cream sandwiches, frozen hot chocolate shakes, and frozen s’mores.
The news of these lease-signings follow 11 retail announcements for Water Street Tampa earlier this year, including Orangetheory Fitness, Shortwave Coffee, Chill Bros. Scoop Shop, Fit Bowl Co. Superfood Bar, Murph’s BBQ, Noble Rice, BurgerFi, The Battery, Naked Farmer, Coldwell Banker and 3 Corners. Additional retailers throughout the neighborhood include Jeni’s Ice Cream, Joyful Notion, Splitsville, F45 Fitness, Jotoro, Edison’s Swigamajig, Gallito, Flock and Stock, Modern Paws, LightHaus Beer Garden and Publix GreenWise Market, which opened this summer.
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