After popping-up in downtown Tampa last year, Whataburger is finally making good on its promise to reopen in the Tampa Bay area. Photo via Whataburger press room" class="uk-display-block uk-position-relative uk-visible-toggle"> click to enlarge After popping-up in downtown Tampa last year, Whataburger is finally making good on its promise to reopen in the Tampa Bay area. - Photo via Whataburger press room
After popping-up in downtown Tampa last year, Whataburger is finally making good on its promise to reopen in the Tampa Bay area.
Openings
Decades after leaving, fast food chain Bojangles has plans to return to Tampa Bay The chain—born nearly 48 years ago in North Carolina—has 10 Florida locations, according to its website, but the closest one in Ocala is temporarily closed. Ready to clog arteries at the crack of dawn, Bojangles is famous for its biscuit sandwiches, Bo rounds (aka seasoned hash browns), and Cajun-spiced fried chicken. Bojangles hasn't had a presence in the Tampa Bay area since the '80s.—Ray Roa
**Whataburger’s return to Tampa Bay will happen in Wesley Chapel and Largo**After popping-up in downtown Tampa last year, Whataburger is finally making good on its promise to reopen in the Tampa Bay area. Whataburger officially confirmed its opening in Wesley Chapel as early as 2026, according to Wesley Chapel Local, which found a permit for construction over the weekend. The 24-hour fast food joint will be located at 25340 Sierra Center Blvd. by Tampa Premium Outlets in the old Aussie Grill building right off State Road 54. WFLA adds that the establishment will undergo a full interior and exterior renovation along with a revamped dining area that emulates the laid-back Whataburger vibe. And just Tuesday morning, St. Pete Rising shared another Whataburger plan to open in Largo at 10150 Ulmerton Rd. in the former Joella's Hot Chicken. The Texas-based chain has taken its made-to-order burgers and iconic orange and white stripes to just over 1,130 locations across 17 states as of 2025.—Jani Burden
Chico's Tacos If you ever run into someone from El Paso, Texas, mention Chico’s Tacos. The family owned Mexican joint is a right of passage for the border city, receiving shout outs from politicians, rock stars and comedians who have fallen prey to the allure of sauce-drenched tacos and mountains of cheese. From what we hear about Chico’s addicting tradition, we’re ready for what comedian Gabriel Iglesias calls the only tacos you can drink.
**Churned Ice Cream opens brick-and-mortar scoop shop in St. PeteEnthusiasts of ice cream and Benson Boone can now get the best of both worlds in St. Petersburg. Churned, which named a flavor after one of Boone’s recent singles, soft-launched its brick-and-mortar at 5504 Haines Rd. N last Monday, June 23. Steve Tishman has been running the hard ice cream and popsicle shop as a pop-up around the St. Pete area since September, after buying it from Alyssa and Ray Wyatt. The Wyatts started Churned in 2021. While the hard launch has not been officially set, Tishman is selling pints of more than 30 flavors. Once he gets a dipping cabinet, he’ll start selling scoops and mixed-flavor pints.—Marleigh BrownEventsGrindhaus Brew Lab's Summerween has books, brews and BBQ this weekendWendy Dalrymple, author of horror novels “Birthday Party Demon” and most recently “Credenza” (released June 13), joins in a mass book signing and beer sipping event with other local authors like Kenzie Jennings, Melanie Sue and Maria DeVivo. They’ll be answering any questions about their books and talking all things spooky. Akala Studios will sell spooky stained glass art, and New York BBQ & Fire Grill will sling BBQ ribs, tips and pork burnt ends.—MBSmashburgers get a soundtrack when Jask DJs the latest installment of Tampa's 'Over Easy Music Pop' series Water Street’s music-forward cocktail lounge Alter Ego continues its ongoing Over Easy Pop-Up tour of sorts, this time sleeping in a bit and rolling out of bed on Saturday, June 28 to get to Mighty Fine, which makes some of the finest smashburger Tampa has to offer. Jask, a staple of the Bay area house scene, mans the ones and twos for the three-hour throwdown.—RRClosingsThe Studio Public House closing after four years in St. Pete After being open in St. Pete for four years, British-inspired restaurant and pub The Studio Public House will close this summer. Chef and owner Mike Crippen announced its closing on Monday via social media, and mentioned that the landlord decided not to renew the contract. A closing date has not been announced. While he looks for a new location, Crippen is still serving customer favorites like fish and chips, curry potato volcano and the Bollywood chicken curry.—MBICYMIAmalie Arena's Marvilou Mapa among finalists headed to knockout rounds for Tampa's 'Epic Chef' competition**Last Monday, Feeding Tampa Bay kicked off the 10th anniversary of its Epic Chef competition, where local chefs engage in a series of friendly cook-offs and help bring awareness to the nonprofit’s mission of ending hunger throughout the greater Bay area. For the first time in Epic Chef history, six contestants from both sides of the bridge gathered at its kick-off event, where the chefs had to serve 300 portions of a dish that best represented them and their respective restaurants. After thoroughly tasting small plates from all six chefs, the crowd ranked their favorite dishes. Six contestants—Eat Art Love’s Mario Brugnoli, Robert Blanque of Martin’s Italian in Oldsmar, Birria Bros owner Mohamad ElBanna, Wild Child’s Brandon Greenwalt, Angel Gaston of Rooster & the Till and Marvilou Mapa of Amalie Arena—cooked for attendees on June 23, but only the latter four made it to the next round of the competition.—Kyla Fields
Tampa shop lands on Yelp list of ‘Top 50 donut shops in the US’ Yelpers are at it again. The ratings website tapped its “elite” users for a new list of the “Top 50 donut shops in the US,” and just one Tampa Bay area shop made the cut. Hole In One Donut—located at 14406 N Florida Ave. in the Lake Magdalene neighborhood of Hillsborough County—is one of just three Florida shops to make the list along with Donut King in Minneola and DG Doughnuts in Ocoee. In 2023, Hole In One Donuts also took home Reader's and Critic's picks selections in Creative Loafing Tampa Bay's Best of the Bay awards.—RR
Bucs rookie Shilo Sanders has deep thoughts about this Tampa restaurant Shilo Sanders is hungry. The rookie safety for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers says he found a new place to take his mom when she comes into town. The 25-year-old recently kicked off his new YouTube series “Tampa Food Tour” with a brunch trip to Michelin-recommended restaurant The Pearl, before venturing to one of Water Street’s favorite French-inspired restaurants, Boulon Brasserie. Sanders—who signed a three-year $2.9 million contract with the Tampa Bay Bucs after going undrafted—is spending that money wisely, on expensive food.—JB
Hall of Fame Columbia Restaurant waiter Felipe Núñez returns to Ybor City for 97th birthday When Felipe Núñez ushered his family onto the Silver Meteor train from New York City to Tampa’s Union Station in 1951, he didn’t know what his future held. Seventy-four years later, his family is solidified in Tampa History. Born in Ybor City in 1928, Núñez is a classic Tampa native—a “Tampeño” as the Núñez family calls the locals. After spending his adolescence in New York, Felipe brought his wife and two young sons back, worked at several of Tampa's unionized dining rooms and soon accepted a job at the iconic Columbia restaurant, where he’d work for more than two decades and earn a spot in its hall of fame. After hundreds of nights of serving others—including his own family on occasion—he’ll be served his 97th birthday dinner there this weekend.—MB
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