Ten Rooms shuts its door in Ybor City less than three months after opening
By Ashley Gurbal Kritzer
Tampa Bay Business Journal
Published: Jul 8, 2024

Ten Rooms, which opened in Ybor City this spring, has permanently closed.

Ten Rooms combined a retail boutique, coffee shop and a full-service restaurant in the same space — El Centro Español de Tampa, a National Historic Landmark property. It is part of Centro Ybor, an open-air shopping and entertainment complex in the heart of the Ybor City historic district.

Employees were notified of the closure on Monday. Tampa-based Third Lake Capital owns Ten Room's real estate and was also the restaurant's majority investor.

The restaurant's last day in business was July 7.

"While it's disappointing that Ten Rooms is closing, we (as owners of Centro Ybor) remain committed to the vitality and vibrancy of Ybor City, its residents and the business community," Third Lake said in a statement. "The restaurant industry is a tough business, and many concepts ultimately don't succeed notwithstanding thoughtful planning, good intentions, creativity, and curated offerings. We wish the proprietor of Ten Rooms well and hope he finds success in future endeavors."

The proprietor of Ten Rooms was Tampa hospitality veteran Ro Patel. Ten Rooms occupied around 5,000 square feet and was home to Bar Martinez, a bar and restaurant; Genevieve the Cat, a sister bar space; a retail boutique; and a cafe.

Patel did not immediately respond to a request for comment Monday.

Ten Rooms hit a major snag before it opened: It sued its first chef, the Michelin-starred Ebbe Vollmer, for violating a noncompete clause with the opening of an eponymous fine-dining concept in downtown Tampa. Vollmer's new restaurant won a Michelin star in April.

Big Storm Brewing also closed in Centro Ybor in June, after Third Lake filed an eviction lawsuit against the company. Big Storm has also closed other taprooms around Tampa Bay and the state.