Sushi Alive will open a second spot this fall at 9316 Anderson Road in Town ‘N’ Country. The restaurant takes over what used to be Tampa Joe’s, sitting near AMC Veterans 24. Co-owners Timmy and Jennifer Ly bought the 6,000-square-foot building in March. They’re planning to fix it up.
The Japanese restaurant already runs one spot at 13234 Race Track Road in Westchase, which stays open. The husband-and-wife duo purchased the building from Tampa Joe’s, a sports bar that shut down March 2 after a decade at that address.
Tampa Joe’s owner Mike Goodwin announced the closing on Feb. 24. Goodwin also runs O’Brien’s Irish Pub & Grill in Carrollwood. He said the building had been sold and that he was scouting other spots.
“While our hearts want nothing more than to continue serving our friends with the great food, welcoming service, and fun-loving spirit that have defined Tampa Joe’s from the very beginning, we have made the heartfelt decision to transition to a new chapter,” the post read, according to the Tampa Beacon.
The announcement drew hundreds of reactions and almost 80 comments from customers. Many felt sad about losing a neighborhood hangout, though some got excited about a new sushi place right outside the theater’s parking lot.
Timmy and Jennifer Ly’s second restaurant marks the latest shift in a plaza that watched Mamajuana Cafe Tampa move to Ybor City after a fire destroyed its tiki hut patio in April 2024. This new spot will be one of four restaurants near AMC Veterans 24, joining Puerto Rican eatery Pal Campo, Venezuelan restaurant Naguara Pepitos & Grill, and fellow sushi place Kuchi.
The plaza also has a Starbucks and a Cold Stone Creamery.