Shay Ryan launched Clever Deli at 2002 N. Lois Ave. inside the Westwood Building. It’s 100% gluten-free. The cafe sits in Westshore and serves sandwiches, salads, smoothies, and breakfast items from 7:30 a.m. until 2 p.m. on weekdays.
According to That’s So Tampa, Ryan spent 14 years as an on-air meteorologist with Tampa Bay 28 ABC. She retired this spring. Broadcasting kept her busy for almost three decades before she switched gears and started this new venture.
Doctors diagnosed Ryan with Celiac Disease halfway through her broadcasting career. For over ten years, she struggled with eating out. Restaurants and breakfast joints didn’t understand what she needed. So she decided to open her own spot.
Want breakfast? Try avocado toast, French toast, buttered toast, or a BEC sandwich. Hot sandwiches include Cubans and Reubens. There’s also an avocado chicken quesadilla and a chicken salad baguette. Lunch brings toasted roast beef paired with Vermont cheddar.
Coffee lovers get drip, espresso, and lattes for $2.99. A double espresso runs $3.50.
Four salads sit on the menu. Smoothies too. You can build your own breakfast with eggs, hash browns, bacon, and grits.
Seed oils? Not here. The kitchen uses cage-free eggs and grabs non-GMO and organic ingredients whenever they can. No artificial ingredients. No added colors. No preservatives.
Vegan options exist. So do nondairy and nut-free choices. Ryan also operates mobile delis that pop up at different spots around town.