One of “America’s Best Restaurants” is about to get a neighbor.
Two prominent Tampa restaurateurs have teamed up for a second time to create a brand new concept waterfront restaurant.
According to Tampa Bay Business Journal, The still-unnamed concept will open right next to Rattlesnake Point’s Salt Shack on the Bay, which appeared on the New York Times’ 2023 list of “America’s Best Restaurants.”
Bob Bashman, known for founding Outback Steakhouse and PDQ chicken tender shacks across the Bay area, has teamed up with Chris Ponte, who created the Michelin Guide-recommended Ponte in Tampa.
The duo previously teamed up in 2022 to open Bare Naked Kitchen, a fast-casual-style restaurant, in South Tampa,
The 8,000-square-foot project—which sits near the site of a forthcoming nearly-500 unit apartment complex—will seat more than 300 people, and serve “coastal fare” cuisine, including fresh seafood, TBBJ reported.
Basham is a native of Tampa Bay, as he started his previously mentioned restaurant chains in the area, but is also an active community member in the area. In 2021, he received a $50,000 donation from the Lightning Foundation and the Lightning Community Heroes program, which gave to Boys & Girls Club Foundation, First Tee of Tampa Bay and other local organizations.
On the other side of the globe, Ponte formally trained at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris, France. He currently runs family-owned restaurants throughout the Tampa and St. Petersburg area, like Ponte, Olivia (stylized in all-caps) and On Swann, with his wife and sons.
Basham and Ponte’s new restaurant is currently slated to open in the fall of 2025.
Subscribe to Creative Loafing newsletters.Follow us: Google News | NewsBreak | Reddit | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter
