Blind Tiger to move Ybor shop to former Boneyard space
By Ashley Gurbal Kritzer
Tampa Bay Business Journal
Published: Aug 4, 2023

The original Blind Tiger is moving to a new location in Ybor City, more than doubling its real estate and allowing owner Roberto Torres to debut a new flagship for the brand.

Torres has signed a lease to take over the former home of dive bar Boneyard at 1823 E. Seventh Ave. The Boneyard space is 4,000 square feet, and Blind Tiger's cafe at 1901 E. Seventh Ave. is 1,300 square feet.

The Boneyard announced its closure on Instagram three weeks ago.

Moving to the new location is a "six-figure" investment, Torres said, and he expects to open by the end of 2023. Ninety percent of the changes to the Boneyard space will be cosmetic.

"It's going to be an all-day play," Torres said of the new location, which will serve breakfast, lunch, happy hour drinks and appetizers.

The current location closes at 5 p.m. and has outgrown its original home. On weekends, Torres said his Ybor shop can serve 400 to 450 people in a 10-hour timeframe.

The new building's second story has rooftop access, Torres said, and will become a speakeasy with space for 20 to 30 guests.

"We’re really looking to elevate the offering," he said. "When we started 10 years ago, our budget was $40,000, and the look was distressed industrial, but that’s not the case now. People need to eat with their eyes first, and if you look at what's happening, it needs to be an Instagram-able place."