Credit: Photo via Datz/Facebook
Once part of a thriving local restaurant group, American restaurant Datz recently closed its last remaining restaurant.
Datz’ St. Pete restaurant was located at 180 Central Ave., adjacent to the The James Museum of Western & Wildlife Art. It made its debut in the spring of 2019.
Management posted a sign on Datz’ door last week that read: “An ending to an era! It’s been a great and memorable journey throughout the years. Unfortunately, we have finished our final chapter in our Datz story…It’s been a privilege and our pleasure throughout the years! Be well and until we meet again. Stay Datzy!”
The restaurant hasn’t announced a reason for its closure on any of its social media pages, although it’s listed as “permanently closed” on Google.
The ribbon cutting for Datz in St. Petersburg, Florida on June 17, 2019. Credit: cityofstpete / Flickr
Datz’ South Tampa restaurant and its sister bakery Dough closed in 2023 after its property was sold to a developer. Its Riverview restaurant quietly closed its doors last year.
Datz started in 2009 as a small South Tampa deli concept, but eventually evolved into a full-scale restaurant. By 2013, owners Suzanne and Roger Perry launched a restaurant group and opened sister concepts Dough, a scratch bakery, and the New Orleans-inspired Roux.
The duo also ventured across the bridge to St. Pete, opening Dr. BBQ with Ray Lampe in 2018, although the once-popular restaurant has closed, too.
Over the last decade or so, Datz has also been featured on nationally-recognized television programs like “Good Morning America,” listed on The Food Network’s “Best Of” lists and covered by large publications like USA Today, Newsweek and Time Magazine.
The local restaurant was described by its owners as “a foodie wonderland filled with bacon, cheese, and one-of-a-kind dishes,” often featuring over-the-top munchie creations and novelty items like breakfast carbonara pasta, funnel cake fries, and meatloaf stuffed with jalapeno mac and cheese.
Its “Cheesy Todd” burger—a ground beef patty, lettuce, onions, tomatoes and pickles served between two fried discs of mac and cheese—was recently named “Best ‘Only In Florida’ Artery Clogger” in Creative Loafing Tampa Bay’s 2024 Best of the Bay awards.
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This article appears in Oct. 16 – 22, 2025.
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