From July to October 2026, the half-mile of North Nebraska Avenue between the 4400 and 4800 blocks lost a taproom and a bistro. Both had been there for more than a decade. One owner retired and the other moved. The address that has had the hardest time keeping a tenant, the old Nebraska Mini-Mart corner at 4815, is now getting a $100,000 renovation, twice the parking it had, a kids' menu, and a Halloween movie on the lawn.
The busiest part of the stretch right now is the address that sat in flux the longest. To see why, start with the two businesses that left.
Two departures that were decisions
Southern Brewing & Winemaking at 4500 N Nebraska Ave. started as a homebrew supply store in 2008. Owners Brian and Kelly Fenstermacher added a full brewery, winery, and taproom in 2011. In July, they posted a farewell note on social media saying that after three decades in brewing, it was "time to retire," as Creative Loafing Tampa Bay reported. Southern's last day of operations came in mid-August. The Southern Maker's Market, which had used the space, held its final market there on August 8.
Creative Loafing's July story also remembered what the taproom meant on this block: "a great spot to sip on a beer while you wait for your tacos at Rene's across the street." Rene's Mexican Kitchen is also cooking from a temporary setup this fall. Its Ybor City kitchen is temporarily closed after a September fire, and the Tampa Bay Times reported the business plans to "keep on trucking."
Three blocks north, Old Heights Bistro served its last meal at 4703 N Nebraska Ave. on Saturday, July 25, after nearly 11 years there, as Creative Loafing reported. The bistro didn't close. It moved to 3225 S MacDill Ave., Suite 109, in South Tampa. The restaurant's website now lists the MacDill address, with breakfast, lunch, sushi, and current hours. If it was your regular spot, it's still running, about a 15-minute drive farther away.
So two well-known addresses lost their tenants in the same summer, and neither had a publicly announced replacement as of late October.
The corner that kept turning over
The corner at 4815 N Nebraska Ave. has had a different problem. It has changed hands so often that regulars haven't had time to form. Nebraska Mini-Mart closed in March 2025. King of the Coop, a hot chicken concept, had a short run there next. After that, an Orlando restaurateur announced a food truck park for the site, and that plan apparently fell through.
Here's where the stretch stands heading into Halloween weekend:
| Address | Longtime occupant | Status as of late October 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| 4500 N Nebraska Ave. | Southern Brewing & Winemaking, homebrew shop since 2008, taproom since 2011 | Closed in mid-August after the owners retired; no announced next tenant |
| 4703 N Nebraska Ave. | Old Heights Bistro, nearly 11 years | Moved to 3225 S MacDill Ave., Suite 109; no announced next tenant |
| 4815 N Nebraska Ave. | Nebraska Mini-Mart, closed March 2025 | Coco's In the Heights, targeting an end-of-October opening |
Of the three addresses, only the corner that changed hands most often has a business, a budget, and a launch date.
What Coco's is building at 4815
Coco's In the Heights is the third location for a Tampa sandwich name that's nearly 40 years old. Creative Loafing's September report describes lines forming at 4 a.m. on weekdays at the original Coco's Sandwich Shop in Palmetto Beach, and another rush around 6 a.m. at the Coco's on 40th Street. Carlos Carrillo and Adam Hendricks, who are opening the new location, are betting Seminole Heights will support the same kind of following.
The plans show how much they're putting into the property. Carrillo told Creative Loafing the renovation will cost about $100,000. That budget covers air-conditioned indoor dining with new tile, both bathrooms, the kitchen, new umbrellas and shade, new lighting, and palm trees. The team is also hoping to add 12 parking spaces, for 24 in total. That would double the lot, which matters on a corner of Nebraska Avenue that has always depended on its lawn and patio.
The planned menu goes well beyond the Cuban sandwich:
- Sandwiches: The Tampa Cuban, The O.G. Cuban, and The Midnight Special, a medianoche
- Beyond the bread: bowls, tacos, loaded tostones, salads, and empanadas, with sauces made from scratch
- For kids: chicken tenders and fries, a Cuban grilled cheese, and a two-taco kids meal
- To drink: Cuban coffee, fountain drinks, Spanish soda, draft, craft and bottled beer, and wine
The kids' menu is deliberate. Carrillo told Creative Loafing that Nebraska Mini-Mart had been a hit with "all walks of life, families included," and that he planned the menu with children in mind. He called Seminole Heights "a foodie town, a foodie neighborhood," said the team wants "to take full advantage of the outdoor space," and described the feel they're after as "a Havana nights kind of vibe."
Planned hours are Tuesday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Those hours put the stretch's evening activity on this corner now that the taproom at 4500 is closed. The target is an opening "by the end of October," so check Coco's own channels for the confirmed first day before you drive over.
Planning Halloween weekend around the corner
The first event the new owners announced is a Halloween movie. Creative Loafing reported that Coco's In the Heights plans to show a classic, kid-rated Halloween movie on its lawn from 8 to 10 p.m. on Halloween night, so kids can "get their candy crazies out." Halloween falls on a Saturday this year, and the movie depends on the restaurant opening on schedule.
Here's one way to plan the holiday weekend nearby:
- Before dark on Saturday, October 31: The Great Pumpkin Patch on the Seminole Heights United Methodist Church campus at 6111 N Central Ave. has been open since October 7, according to Tampa Bay Parenting's Halloween listings, which give an 8:30 p.m. closing time. The same campus hosted TRIBE Seminole Heights' 7th annual Spooky Stroll on October 24, with themed stations and costumes encouraged. If your family missed it, it's worth noting for next fall.
- Halloween daytime, if you want the original Coco's: The Coco's Sandwich Shop events page lists a Halloween event on Saturday, October 31, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The page doesn't name the Seminole Heights location, so confirm which shop is hosting before you go.
- Halloween night, 8 to 10 p.m.: The planned lawn movie at 4815 N Nebraska Ave., if Coco's has opened by then.
- Sunday, November 8: The Seminole Heights Sunday Market returns on its usual second Sunday at American Legion Post 111, 6918 N Florida Ave., from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
The two addresses still waiting
The next question for this stretch is what goes into 4500 and 4703 N Nebraska Ave. As of late October 2026, neither space has a publicly announced new tenant. The broader picture is mixed. Creative Loafing's July coverage counted dozens of Tampa Bay breweries, bars, and restaurants that had closed over the previous several months. Owners cited rising costs, hurricane recovery, and changing drinking habits. Nebraska Mini-Mart's corner shows how long a gap can last on this road. It took about a year and a half, two concepts, and one abandoned plan before an operator arrived with a renovation budget.
Neither of this summer's departures came from a lack of customers. Southern Brewing closed because its owners retired after three decades, and Old Heights Bistro is still serving its menu on South MacDill Avenue.
If you own a home a few blocks off Nebraska Avenue and want to know whether this kind of street-level change shows up in what buyers are paying nearby, the Kat White Team follows the corridors around Seminole Heights closely. Request Your Home Valuation and we'll go through your street with you.
