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Top-Rated Takeout In Tampa

With the COVID-19 crisis, nearly every place that serves food has been restricted to takeout only. As we have written about before, ordering takeout is a great way to support the local businesses you love. Today, we have turned to Yelp to find some of the best takeout spots in Tampa.

1. Mad Chiller World

5 stars, $$ | https://www.madchillerworld.com/

Mad Chiller World serves coffee, kava, and kratom, as well as other drinks. In addition to this, they serve flatbreads, and special waffles on the weekends. They are open for takeout, or you can order delivery through Uber Eats.

2. Aladin’s Grill

5 stars, $ | https://www.yelp.com/menu/aladins-grill-tampa

Aladin’s Grill serves Mediterranean and Middle Eastern food that is touted by locals to be both fresh and authentic. While their menu has plenty of tasty options, what really gets customers raving is their shawarma. They have an unusual location – a gas station – but Tampa natives say that the food is worth it. They offer both takeout and delivery.

3. Thee Burger Spot

4.5 stars, $ | https://www.theeburgerspot.com/

Locals say that Thee Burger Spot makes the best burgers that they have ever had – high praise from a town that has plenty of good eats. The burger patties are fresh and people simply can’t get enough of them. The affordability and crave-factor of these burgers makes them worth your while. Order takeout with curbside pickup or delivery through Uber Eats.

4. Gonzo’s Sandwich Shop

4.5 stars, $ | http://www.gonzosandwichshop.com/

Gonzo’s is best known for their sandwiches with local flavor, like the Cuban and the Pork Drizzle. No matter what, their sandwiches are fully loaded and packed with flavor. They are open for both takeout and delivery.

5. King Of The Coop

4.5 stars, $$ | https://www.kingofthecoop.com/

The only true Nashville Hot Chicken spot in Tampa, according to their customers. If you’re not the spicy chicken type, they do offer “naked” and no-heat options. People rave about both their tenders and sandwiches, along with sides such as creamed collard greens, mac & cheese, coleslaw, and hush puppies. They offer takeout or delivery through their website.

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How You Can Help Your Favorite Local Restaurants

There is no doubt that with the current crisis, local businesses are among the hardest hit. So how can people maintain isolation but still support their favorite local restaurants and businesses? Read on to learn how you can help keep local small businesses afloat.

Buy Gift Cards

Gift cards are a way to give restaurants money now and give yourself a treat later. The cards give business a boost when they need it without exposing people to the risks of a densely populated restaurant.

Order Takeout Or Delivery

Ordering takeout or delivery is another great way to keep money flowing into local restaurants without the crowds. Most health officials have suggested takeout as the preferred method of restaurant dining.

Delivery adds another layer of human contact to the process. Restaurant employees are being closely supervised and taking extra precautions right now. Delivery drivers do not have that same level of supervision. However, delivery means that people do not have to leave their isolation.

Whichever method works for you, it is definitely safer than dining in at a restaurant. The Tampa Bay Times compiled a list here of all restaurants closed or switching to curbside in the area.

Shop Online

When ordering your delivery or takeout, do your best to order online instead of calling in. Most restaurants do not have the staff to be taking phone calls at this point in time. Ordering online makes both the customer’s and the restaurant’s life easier.

Additionally, try to shop online at local businesses that are not in the food service industry. It is tempting to shop on Amazon, which guarantees fast delivery. However, a majority of local businesses would work hard to provide excellent customer service and local flavor.

Order Gifts Ahead Of Time

The goal behind all of these tips is to help people put money into the economy now in order to keep it from declining. One of the ways to do this is by arming yourself now for all of the yearly events down the line.

Birthdays, anniversaries, and winter holidays all make us feel obliged to buy gifts. Get a jump on your present shopping and do it now. This process goes hand in hand with buying gift cards. Get a gift card to your local restaurants and treat your significant other all through their birthday week. Or order online from a local bookstore and save it as a Christmas gift for grandma.

As an added bonus, you will not be scrambling at the last minute to buy those presents later. Stimulate the economy now and have less stress later, that’s a win-win!

Donate

Finally, if you are able to, donating is always an option. Whether that is a donation to an emergency fund for food service employees, or donation of food to kids who are not being fed at school right now. There are many people who need help and will be extremely grateful for what they receive.

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How Ghost Kitchens Are Impacting The Restaurant Industry

Ghost kitchens and virtual brands are changing the face of the food service industry. Both innovations are creating a new way for entrepreneurs to break into the industry. Join us as we explore the benefits of ghost kitchens and how restaurateurs can use them.

What Are Ghost Kitchens?

Ghost kitchens are professional kitchens that are not tied to a restaurant. It is a facility that exists, usually to support a virtual restaurant brand. It provides a physical location to develop a brand and experiment with recipes and menus.

What Is A Virtual Brand?

A virtual brand is a restaurant that does not have a brick and mortar location that customers can dine at. Virtual brands have grown out of the expansion of the food delivery industry. Doordash, GrubHub, Uber Eats, Postmates, Bite Squad…the list for delivery goes on and on. Not to mention the local delivery services that have managed to survive.

Virtual brands do not serve customers in a restaurant, and their entire development is for delivery services. Sometimes virtual brands are intended to stand on their own two feet. Other times they are an offshoot of an existing brick and mortar restaurant that fall under the same name, or even a different one. Finally, a virtual brand is a test run for a brick and mortar store.

Benefits Of A Ghost Kitchen

Ghost kitchens shine best in the developmental stage of a restaurant. It lets everybody involved in developing the restaurant have a trial run before opening a physical location. The results of a ghost kitchen trial run can also be used to woo investors by demonstrating the success of a particular chef or style of food.

They also allow a team trying to establish a location to acquire an independent income stream. This enables restaurants to rely less on creditors, which gives them a higher chance of survival.

Finally, ghost kitchens provide an outlet for an established brand that has a large volume of online orders. For certain restaurants, online orders are simply a distraction for their kitchen trying to feed customers in a brick and mortar location. Ghost kitchens handle the online orders to keep the brick and mortar location functioning.

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How To Select A Location For Your Restaurant

There is a reason that the most well-known real estate adage is “location, location, location.” Location is absolutely essential for a successful business and is one of the deciding factors in the success of a food service business. So how do restaurant entrepreneurs and operators determine the best location for them? Read on to explore our top tips for selecting a location for your restaurant.

Initial Marketing Research

The initial marketing research helps determine the general area or neighborhood that you need to be searching in. This decision is influenced by the target market and target customers who you are aiming for. For example, a sit-down restaurant for families probably belongs in the suburbs instead of downtown.

Determining Factors

There are three main factors to consider while location hunting. As frustrating as the search may be, do not give in and compromise on a location simply because it is there.

Size

The size of the potential space is a highly important factor to consider. Even smaller food service businesses, like coffee shops, need plenty of space. On the other hand, you do not want to be paying for space that you will not actually use.

Ask for some detailed floor plans of the space and sketch out potential layouts. Always make sure to remember to leave space for people and servers to walk through. Additionally, remember certain rules, such as ADA laws are in place that dictate spacing.

Visibility

Visibility is another consideration that owners and operators must make. While certain businesses can afford a little lower visibility, newer restaurants cannot. Even if the space is tucked back away from the road, something needs to signal to customers that you are there. An ideal site is in a high traffic location for both pedestrians and cars that comes with standout signage.

Previous Tenants

The history of a location tells potential renters quite a bit about the location. Ask questions about the number of tenants at a location. Then find out how long those people stayed there and why they left. If you can, talk to those ex-renters and find out from them what issues they ran into with location.

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Review: Bake’n Babes – Indulge Your Sweet Tooth

Bake’n Babes is tucked in the back corner of Tampa Bay’s oldest food hall, The Hall on Franklin. The local bakery, established 2013, serves a wide range of including milkshakes, liège waffles, light lunch items, charcuterie boards, as well as cakes, pies, and cookies. The menu boasts a sizable amount of vegan and gluten free options for a bakery.

Trying to pick a sample with such a wide-ranging menu is difficult, but I finally land on a Nutella liège waffle and a flourless chocolate torte. The torte is a gluten free torte made with Belgian chocolate. It is topped with chocolate ganache and a small dab of edible gold, accompanied by raspberry champagne coulis.

The waffle is made like a traditional Belgian waffle. The dough is yeast-based, almost like a brioche bread and pressed in a cast-iron waffle press. My Nutella waffle comes topped with imported pearl sugar, Nutella spread, and bruleed banana slices. There is even a little Belgian flag stuck in the top, following the Belgian tradition. Bake’n Babes founder, Julie Curry, told the Tampa Bay Times that a trip to Belgium inspired the unique menu item.

The smiley employee at the counter hands me a pager with a smile and warns me of the wait, “the waffles take a little while, because we make them from a scratch.” While I’m waiting, another customer gets one of the Bake’n Babes daunting Freak Shakes – an over-the-top milkshake that rotates monthly. December’s shake is blue, stacked sky-high with a slice of cake, popcorn, cotton candy, an iced cookie, a light-up snowflake, and a sparkler.

When my own treats arrive, they look beautiful, and taste even better than they look. The flourless chocolate torte is rich and velvety. The accompanying raspberry champagne coulis balances the deep flavor of Belgian chocolate with a naturally brightening tang. This torte feels luxuriant and indulgent. A feeling helped along by the 24k gold dabbed on the top of each slice.

The Belgian waffle is very authentic. The Nutella and banana flavor combination is popular for a reason, and works well on top of the thick waffle. The amount of toppings balance perfectly with the size of the waffle.

Overall, Bake’n Babes is an excellent experience. The physical location is not big, but the top-notch customer service, indulgent treats, and ambiance at the hall leave a great impression. Whether you’re looking for a post-workday treat or the perfect place for date night, head to Bake’n Babes in The Hall on Franklin.

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Podcasts That Help Restaurant Operators

Restaurant operators know that running any food operation is hard work. There are long hours, tight profits, and a lot of upkeep. However, for many it is worth it. Learning as much as possible about the industry is a good way to reduce the workload. Just like any other industry, there are successful experts willing to share their knowledge. Podcasts enable people to access this knowledge for free. So read on to learn about some of the top rated podcasts that focus on the restaurant industry.

1. Restaurant Unstoppable

Restaurant Unstoppable is run by Eric Cacciatore. He brings a different guest in every episode to share their expertise in the food service industry. In fact, the subtitle of Restaurant Unstoppable is “Melting Pot Of Mentors.”

The podcast has been running for a long time, and releases twice a week, so there are nearly 700 episodes to dive into. Restaurant Unstoppable has 5.0 out of 5 stars after 200 reviews.

Reviewers describe the podcasts as “bold, insightful, and engaging.” Other people claim that Restaurant Unstoppable is the catalyst for their own restaurant journey. Overall, they could be described as “glowing.”

2. The Garnish

The Garnish is run by the restaurant technology company Toast. Toast also has a blog that is an amazing resource for operators. The Garnish interviews everyone in the industry from restauranteurs to chefs to servers. So it truly provides a complete perspective across the industry.

The Garnish has an irregular publishing schedule, but there is plenty of content to sort through. It has been running since July of 2017, with the most recent Staff Series published in early November 2019.

3. Secret Sauce – The Restaurant Marketing Podcast

In a restaurant, a secret sauce is usually kept a secret because it is successful, and the uniqueness makes people love it. The Secret Sauce podcast aims to create the “secret sauce” of marketing for your restaurant. It has been running since October 2016 and has over 120 episodes.

It has a 5.0 out of 5 stars rating with approximately 30 reviews. Every review is thanking and praising James, who hosts the podcast. There are even chefs that claim Secret Sauce as a main source of inspiration for their personal brand.

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Review: Brightside Café – Brighten Your Day

As you walk into Brightside Café on North Morgan Street, the first impression is that it is aptly named; from the high ceilings painted white to the smiling employees, everything seems bright. The counter service restaurant has been run by Lisa Monk for a little over a year now.

“It used to be a club, and everything was dark – the ceiling was painted black.” Monk grimaces a little at the memory. The space that the café inhabits is tall, but there is almost no natural light. The white opens it up though, and it is peppered with green and orange accents. Monk has been in the restaurant business for 20 years and cites Chef Scot Hill – a 30 year food service veteran – as one of the main reasons for the café’s success. “He’s one of those creative chefs…what I’m saying is he’s crazy passionate,” she laughs “he comes up with great stuff.”

Brightside is open 7:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Monday through Friday, serving breakfast and lunch. The menu has plenty of options for everyone, without being overwhelming, a specific goal of Monk’s. For breakfast, one of the employees enthusiastically recommends “La Cubanita”, the little Cuban sandwich. “It’s the best” she gushes. Tampa is the home base of Cuban sandwiches, and if someone is staking claim to “the best” title, it’s worth a try. To go along with the sandwich, she recommends one of their smoothies; I chose the “Pro-Berry-otic”.

The smoothie comes out first. The Pro-Berry-otic contains mixed berries, blueberry kefir, vanilla whey protein, and ice. All of the Brightside smoothies contain protein, which I was wary of. Protein smoothies tend to have a powdery, bitter aftertaste. Happily, this is not the case with the Pro-Berry-otic. It is amazingly smooth thanks to the kefir, and the whey protein is balanced well by the natural sweetness of the berries. The bases for the smoothies are all mixed in house, rather than the pre-made mixes many places purchase. The smoothie is healthy without tasting healthy – a small miracle.

Next comes La Cubanita. At first glance, La Cubanita looks like any other pressed Cuban sandwich, the toasted Cuban bread and melted cheese look delicious, but does it stand up to the long legacy of Cuban sandwiches in Tampa? Yes, yes it does. In addition to the usual smoked ham, swiss cheese, pickles, and mustard, Chef Scot Hill adds his “magic Mojo pork”. It manages to elevate the sandwich while sticking true to its roots. The mojo pork works with the pickles to balance out the sweetness of the Swiss cheese and is so delicious that I can’t argue with the “magic” moniker. The “Little” Cuban is the perfect breakfast serving, big enough to keep you full until lunch, without being so much that you need to take a carb nap afterward.

Brightside is also great value. Even with a tip, my meal barely hit the ten-dollar mark, and the lunch pricing is similar. It is hard to believe that such fresh and healthy options are so reasonable.

It is fairly common knowledge that the food service industry is a competitive career, but that doesn’t seem to slow Lisa Monk down. “We love coming to work. Our whole mission here is optimism and brightness,” she says “that’s where Brightside comes from.” The café accomplishes that mission, in its setting, food, and service. If you are looking for a way to step up your morning, or need a lunch pick me up, stop by the Brightside Café.