![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/04-Telephone-Bldg-2026-07-13.jpg\")
Rippers Credit: Cleveland Street Alliance<\/p>\nRippers Credit: Cleveland Street Alliance<\/p>\n
OPENINGS\/CLOSINGS<\/p>\n
Lumbre, the latest restaurant from local Michelin-starred group, opens in Tampa this week<\/a> <\/p>\n A new modern Spanish concept from the folks that brought you Michelin-starred Rocca, Michelin-recognized Bar Terroir, and Michelin Bib Gourmand Streetlight Taco, is opening this week in the North Hyde Park area. Lumbre,<\/a>\u00a0the latest concept from local hospitality group Tastes Pretty Good, will officially open its doors on Wednesday, July 15. Located in the Rome Collective development, at 220 N Rome Ave., the new Spanish restaurant will be led by Executive Chef and Co-Founder Nick Orr, who previously helmed the kitchen at Rocca. \u2013 Colin Wolf<\/p>\n Group behind Tampa\u2019s Michelin-starred Rocca will open new Clearwater restaurant<\/a> <\/p>\n Rippers, a new American-style restaurant from the team behind Michelin-starred Rocca, is moving into Clearwater\u2019s historic Telephone Building on Cleveland Street.\u00a0\u00a0 Located on the ground floor at 534 Cleveland St., Rippers will be Tastes Pretty Good Hospitality Group\u2019s first Pinellas County concept, and is also the first to move into the Telephone Building. Built in 1914, the Telephone Building is the first fully-restored historic landmark completed by the Cleveland Street Alliance\u2019s coordinated restoration initiative, which is focused on reactivating the Cleveland Street corridor. Rippers will focus on American classics like burgers, wings, sandwiches, fries, milkshakes and its signature deep-fried \u201cripper\u201d hot dogs, which they cook \u201cuntil it rips,\u201d says a press release. \u2013 Colin Wolf<\/p>\n New Italian restaurant led by Michelin-starred chef coming to Tampa this fall<\/a><\/p>\n Hyde Park\u2019s Rome Collective is getting another restaurant from a Michelin-starred chef. Fresh off the recent opening of Lumbre, Nashville-based Fast Fine Restaurant group announced it\u2019s bringing V Modern Italian to the Tampa development in September. The name uses the fifth Roman numeral, as Fast Fine co-founder Benjamin Calleja said in a statement, \u201cV Modern Italian was created on the belief that exceptional dining should engage all five senses, creating moments that linger long after the last bite.\u201d Collaborating on the menu is Chef Stefano Ciotti, who\u2019s maintained a Michelin star at his restaurant,\u00a0Nostrano<\/a>, in Italy for nearly a decade. \u2013 Selene San Felice<\/p>\n Tampa Bay\u2019s first Cook Out officially opens near USF<\/a><\/p>\n Popular North Carolina-based fast food chain Cook Out has opened its first Tampa Bay location in Temple Terrace. Located at 5501 E. Fowler Ave., the new Cook Out outpost soft-opened Thursday, but officially celebrates its grand-opening July 17, in the roughly 3,272 square-foot building formerly home to a Boston Market. Cook Out\u2019s menu centers around a variety of American-style fast food offerings with over 40 milkshakes, fresh char grilled hamburgers, hot dogs, BBQ, chicken, corn dogs, quesadillas, hushpuppies, fries and more. \u2013 Colin Wolf<\/p>\n Years after suffering extensive hurricane damage, Gulfport coffee shop officially closes<\/a><\/p>\n On July 9, GulfPerk Coffee Bar owner Elliot Sutton announced the permanent closure of the beloved Gulfport caf\u00e9 in a post on the shop\u2019s social media pages. \u201cThe plan was always to reopen GulfPerk. Unfortunately, that just isn\u2019t how things turned out,\u201d Sutton wrote. \u201cI\u2019m sad to say that GulfPerk, officially, will not be reopening.\u201d Nearly two years have passed since Hurricanes Helene and Milton swept through Tampa Bay. GulfPerk has remained closed since those storms, with Sutton holding onto hope that the shop might one day reopen. \u2013 Abby Baker\/Gulfport Gabber<\/p>\n Seminole Heights\u2019 Southern Brewing & Winemaking is permanently closing<\/a><\/p>\n In a long, summer where local restaurants and bars are seemingly dropping left and right,\u00a0Southern Brewing & Winemaking<\/a>\u00a0is now the latest to call it quits.\u00a0 Owners Brian and Kelly Fenstermacher posted a\u00a0farewell note\u00a0<\/a>on social media yesterday, thanking patrons for their business and announcing that it\u2019s simply \u201ctime to retire.\u201d \u201cEvery great chapter eventually reaches its final page, and ours has been an incredible one,\u201d reads the post. \u201cAfter three decades in the brewing industry, we\u2019ve decided it\u2019s time to retire. In the coming weeks, Southern Brewing & Winemaking will close its doors.\u201d Located at 4500 N Nebraska Ave., the homebrew supply store first opened in 2008, and in 2011, the Fenstermachers debuted the full-scale brewery, winery, and taproom.\u00a0 \u2013 Colin Wolf<\/p>\n EVENTS<\/p>\n St. Pete Pier hosts the Tampa Bay Ice Cream Festival this weekend<\/a><\/p>\n I scream, you scream and a lot of sugar-high kids will probably be screaming at this event. Tampa Bay Ice Cream Festival brings more than 30 ice cream vendors from around the state to the St. Pete Pier\u2019s Family Park on Sunday. There\u2019s no cover to get in, but frozen treats are for purchase \u00e0 la carte. Participants can vote for their favorite flavors to win the People\u2019s Choice Award, while a panel of undisclosed judges will award Golden Ice Cream Trophies to ice cream makers for Best Hard Ice Cream, Best Soft Serve Ice Cream, Best Non-Dairy Frozen Treat and Best Overall. \u2013 Selene San Felice<\/p>\n FOOD NEWS<\/p>\n \u2018We are heartbroken\u2019: Bern\u2019s Steak House chef Chad Johnson has died at age 47<\/a><\/p>\n South Tampa restaurant goers were met with sad news this seek as\u00a0Bern\u2019s Steak House\u00a0<\/a>told followers that its executive chef, Chad Johnson, died this week. The\u00a0Tampa Bay Business Journal<\/a>\u00a0said the unexpected death happened Wednesday. Property and voter registration records indicate Johnson was 47 years old. He is survived by his wife Ashley and two daughters. In a statement, David Laxer, Owner and President of Bern\u2019s, wrote that the restaurant was closed last Thursday night as the team and Johnson\u2019s family grieved. \u201cToday, we reopen knowing this is what Chad would have wanted: for us to come together, welcome our guests, and continue the gracious hospitality he cared so deeply about,\u201d Laxer added in a statement shared today. \u201cThere is no way to replace the impact Chad had on our team.\u201d A cause of death has not been shared, and Laxer asked for privacy for Johnson\u2019s family and Bern\u2019s team. \u2013 Ray Roa<\/p>\n Pitch in to help make the Tampa Bay Journalism Project a success.<\/a><\/p>\n Subscribe to Creative Loafing newsletters.<\/a><\/p>\n Follow us:\u00a0Google News<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0NewsBreak<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0Reddit<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0Instagram<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0Facebook\u00a0<\/a>|\u00a0BlueSky<\/a><\/p>\n This article appears in July 16 \u2013 22, 2026<\/a>.<\/p>\n \n\tRelated\n<\/p>\n \t\t\t