Kojak's property on Gandy, once slated for townhouses, sold to restaurateur
By Ashley Gurbal Kritzer
Tampa Bay Business Journal
Published: Jan 18, 2023

One of Tampa's most prominent restaurateurs has picked up the former Kojak's House of Ribs property on Gandy Boulevard.

A corporate entity linked to the Casper family, which owns Oxford Exchange, Stovall House and The Library in St. Petersburg, paid $4.6 million for the Kojak's site on Tuesday, according to Hillsborough County property records.

There are no immediate plans for the property, Blake Casper, who owns those concepts with his sister, Allison Casper Adams, told the Tampa Bay Business Journal on Wednesday.

Casper said he and the team at Oxford Commons, the parent company of the family's hospitality concepts, are evaluating the best use for the property — "focusing on the beautiful property, the phenomenal location and the surrounding market."

Kojak's, built in 1927, sits on just over 1 acre on Gandy Boulevard, just west of the intersection with Bayshore Boulevard. The property was originally slated to become the second phase of Shore House, a townhouse project by Tampa-based Sight Development. Kojak's closed months ago and reopened in Seffner in anticipation of the redevelopment.

Michael Mincberg, founder of Sight Development, confirmed the sale to the Business Journal on Wednesday.

“Selling the property was a good business decision," Mincberg said. "We have a tremendous amount of respect for the Casper family and what they have done for the community and are excited to see what the Caspers do with the property.”

Sight paid $2 million for the property in 2021, according to property records.

The Caspers, once the largest McDonald's franchisee in Florida, sold their stores to McDonald's in 2022. The family is now focused on building out more concepts under Oxford Commons — including Predalina, which will open in Water Street Tampa later this year. Oxford Commons has also acquired the former Love's Artifacts Bar and Grill, just south of the intersection of Gandy Boulevard and South MacDill Avenue.

Oxford Commons plans to demolish the former Love's property and move an updated version of Mad Dogs & Englishmen to the site.

Beyond restaurants in the area, the Caspers have also purchased residential real estate. In 2021, the family bought two homes neighboring The Stovall House, a private social club.