I’m just back from a whirlwind week of travel, kicking off with the James Beard Awards in Chicago and ending with a super inspiring few days at the annual Investigative Reporters and Editors conference in Maryland.
I left both feeling surprisingly upbeat — both about the state of the restaurant industry and journalism, which, let me tell you, is not always easy to do! Running a restaurant is grueling, often unforgiving work. It’s rarely, if ever, “easy” and rarely, if ever, comes with any sense of real job security (and yes, there are some striking similarities in journalism).
But something about watching all of those talented chefs and restaurateurs get up on stage and speak to the persistence and tenacity amid their industry’s ongoing challenges really got to me. The amount of creativity, and the continued passion and ingenuity, fueling their field is just endlessly inspiring. And even though our hometown chef Bryce Bonsack didn’t go home with a win that night, it felt monumental to have him there representing Tampa Bay and all the hardworking chefs and industry folks here.
It’s taken a very long time for local restaurants to get the recognition they deserve on the national stage, but we’re finally getting somewhere.
While I was gone, however, there were quite a few shakeups in Tampa Bay’s restaurant scene. First, the folks behind Good Intentions, St. Pete’s trailblazing vegan restaurant, announced that after close to four years in business, the eatery would close. Then Baba — the popular Grand Central District Mediterranean spot in St. Pete — announced that it had decided to sunset the concept while making way for a new restaurant. Around the same time, Tampa’s Rome + Fig announced it was calling it quits, James Beard Award semifinalist Jeannie Pierola announced Edison: Food + Drink Lab in Tampa was taking a temporary summer hiatus and news surfaced that longtime St. Pete restaurant Lorene’s Fish House had closed. Oh, and let’s not forget about all the Chattaway drama (relax: for now it appears that the iconic St. Pete restaurant is here to stay, backed by a trio of local investors).
Suffice to say, things are looking a little wild out there. And it makes sense: Summers are always tough in Tampa Bay. Almost every year for the past seven years I’ve written some story about restaurant closings amid belt-tightening measures and staffing shortages, skyrocketing rents and the seemingly never-ending woes of inflation.
I don’t want to write the same story this year. And yet — it’s hard to imagine that 2026 will fare much better (trust me, I really hope I’m wrong on this one). For restaurant owners right now, it’s more expensive than ever to keep the lights on. For diners, it’s increasingly difficult to justify spending more than they can reasonably afford, while attempting to navigate the uncertainty of our status quo.
I plan to unpack all this a little more over the coming days, so stay tuned and look out for a story soon.
In the meantime, if you’re a chef or a restaurateur interested in weighing in, you know where to find me. Diners? I’d love to hear from you, too. Drop me a line at hfreund@tampabay.com
