Celebrity chef Fabio Viviani signs deal with Westshore Marina District
By Ashley Gurbal Kritzer
Tampa Bay Business Journal
Published: Sep 2, 2021

The developer of Westshore Marina District has signed a national restaurant chain helmed by a celebrity chef to anchor its retail village.

Chuck Lager America's Tavern, a New American restaurant from Chicago chef Fabio Viviani, has signed a lease for 4,000 square feet in Marina Landings, developer BTI Partners said Thursday. Fort Lauderdale-based BTI expects the restaurant to open in early 2022.

It will be the second Chuck Lager location in the Tampa Bay region; the first opened in Wesley Chapel in 2020. Operating partners Brian Henry and Anthony Sandstrom are behind both Tampa Bay locations. Paul Fischetti, managing director of retail services at Colliers in Tampa, represents both Chuck Lager and Viviani.

Fabio Viviani is coming back to Tampa with Chuck Lager America's Tavern.

The district includes several other food options, including Tampa-based Cru Cellars and a forthcoming waterfront restaurant. Duckweed Urban Market is open in the district, and a boozy ice cream shop was recently announced there.

"We are confident that Westshore Marina District residents and visitors alike will thoroughly enjoy dining at Chuck Lager’s when visiting our exciting community," Britney Mroczkowski, BTI Partners retail vice president, said in a statement.

The restaurant serves burgers, flatbreads, tacos and sandwiches. The entrees at the Wesley Chapel location include a fire-roasted half chicken served with vegetables and a jalapeno cheddar mashed potato and a tuna romesco with sauteed Brussels sprouts, asparagus and spinach.

Viviani is best known for the three seasons he spent on Bravo's "Top Chef," where he won the title of "fan favorite." His Fabio Viviani Hospitality has more than 30 restaurants across the U.S.

He entered the Tampa Bay market through a partnership with Nocturnal Group. Viviani said he exited all of his projects with that group after Nocturnal co-founder Lanfranco Pescante's social media commentary on racial injustice protestors sparked outrage.

After exiting his partnerships with Nocturnal, Viviani told the Tampa Bay Business Journal that he was eager to rebuild his brand in the Tampa Bay area.

"It's very favorable to business, and although it's seasonal, there are a lot of people living there," Viviani previously said of Tampa. "It's growing as a city and has a lot of young people who tend to go out."