Seminole Heights, Hyde Park restaurateurs to expand in Sparkman Wharf
By Ashley Gurbal Kritzer
Tampa Bay Business Journal
Published: Jan 27, 2021

Restaurateurs from Seminole Heights and Hyde Park are among the latest to sign leases in Sparkman Wharf.

Sparkman Wharf, previously known as Channelside Bay Plaza, is a mixed-use development that is Water Street Tampa's southern anchor. Water Street, the $3 billion-plus urban district under construction in downtown Tampa, is taking shape as a mini city as its first apartment and office towers prep to open later this year.

Strategic Property Partners is the developer of Water Street. SPP is controlled by Tampa Bay Lightning owner Jeff Vinik and Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates' Cascade Investment Fund.

SPP said Wednesday that it has signed three new restaurants and an office tenant; Coldwell Banker has signed a lease for 3,214 square feet in Sparkman Wharf. Sparkman Wharf is home to SPP's own offices and Water Street's marketing center as well as coworking hub Industrious.

“Chefs and restaurateurs seek out this vibrant waterfront park to showcase their new creations and people throughout the city know to come here for Tampa’s most innovative dining concepts," Susan Martin, vice president of retail and placement for SPP, said in a statement.

Here's a look at the new tenants Sparkman Wharf announced Wednesday:

The Battery will be a sister restaurant to Seminole Heights' The C House, which specializes in champagne, charcuterie and cheese. It will be 4,000 square feet and include a private dining room, full-service bar, outdoor seating and a to-go window for takeout orders. Founder Danna Haydar was previously an attorney for the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Noble Rice, which has a location in Tampa's Hyde Park neighborhood, is expanding with a 100-seat location in Sparkman Wharf. It will serve sushi, ramen and yakitori and feature a full bar with a focus on Japanese whiskeys, sake and cocktails. Created by chef Eric Fralick, Noble Rice is known for its omakase menu — an interactive dinner with the chef where the choices of fish and other ingredients are explained to diners.

Florida-based burger chain BurgerFi, which also has a location in Hyde Park, is coming to Sparkman Wharf. SPP did not disclose how the large restaurant will be or how many seats it will include.

“We are thrilled to join Sparkman Wharf to further ingrain ourselves in the Tampa community at what is an attractive destination for many residents, office workers and visitors of the city. We feel confident that BurgerFi will complement Sparkman Wharf’s unique and vibrant energy, and we’re excited to deliver our always all-natural, best quality food to its neighbors.”