Yeoman's Cask and Lion to expand in downtown Tampa
By Ashley Gurbal Kritzer
Tampa Bay Business Journal
Published: Aug 5, 2021

Yeoman's Cask and Lion is doubling its footprint in downtown Tampa — signaling that the city center's hospitality market is rebounding from the depths of the novel coronavirus pandemic.

Parent company 23 Restaurant Services Inc. has taken over the two storefronts directly north of Yeoman's on North Morgan Street. One was occupied by Brightside Artisan Comfort Cafe, and one was home to City Market Eats, a grab-and-go concept from 23 Restaurant Services.

The additional real estate adds 5,100 square feet to Yeoman's footprint and gives it room to add a large bar and cafe seating, said Marc Brown, president of 23 Restaurant Services. The expansion comes as an Atlanta investor paid a near-record price per room for a dual-flag hotel in the nearby Channel district. Both Yeoman's expansion and the hotel sale show confidence in the future of downtown as a destination for leisure and business travelers.

While many downtown office employees are still working from home, Yeoman's is seeing business increase as events return to Amalie Arena, Brown said. The company has also purchased three virtual reality Topgolf booths for Yeoman's, where patrons can play virtual golf and other sports.

"We want to make sure we compete and stay relevant," he said, "with the new stuff coming to Water Street."