What does a restaurant owner do with a street the city is about to dig up for four years? On South Howard Avenue in 2026, the answer has been to open more restaurants. The Landon opened in March, Good Luck Chuck's in May, Howard & Platt in July, and Meeting House by August. On September 17, Tampa City Council voted 4-3 to approve the $100.4 million South Howard Flood Relief and Streetscape Project.
These openings were not a last burst before the barricades. In public statements, the operators describe one plan: get people onto South Howard for dinner, on weeknights, and for more than the two late-night windows that used to define the corridor. The approved construction schedule will now test that plan one block at a time.
A Two-Night Street, Rebuilt for the Whole Week
Michael Disser described the problem bluntly when he announced the end of SoHo Saloon. The 14-year-old bar at 410 S. Howard Ave. had narrowed into two late-night windows each week, and much of the space sat unused while operating costs rose. "There was no brand, there was no concept," Disser told Tampa Bay Business & Wealth. "It was just a nightclub."
Good Luck Chuck's replaced it. The new venue is built around hits from the 1970s through the 1990s and is designed to run through the week for a 23-and-up crowd. Disser told the Tampa Bay Times that a restored 1971 jukebox anchors the back room and that he plans live music four nights a week. That's So Tampa reported in late May that the venue had opened the week before.
He had already tested the model at Sunset Rodeo, the Nashville-inspired music venue he opened nearby in 2025. The dinner piece arrived on July 23, when Howard & Platt opened at 301 S. Howard Ave. in the former T.C. Choy's building. The menu covers a wide range: sushi, crispy rice, smashburgers, steaks, snapper, and crab-and-shrimp fritters, with a brunch menu that includes Boston Cream French Toast and doughnuts fried in-house.
Disser's group now runs Corner Bar, Sunset Rodeo, Good Luck Chuck's and Howard & Platt on the same corridor. TBBW reported the logic behind the cluster. Each concept is meant to pass guests from dinner into nightlife across the week, in response to Water Street and downtown, where newer hospitality offerings have been drawing customers. Disser has even said he prefers "South Howard Avenue" to the "SoHo" label, because he thinks it better fits the corridor's mix of uses.
Here is how the 2026 changes line up on the street:
| Address | Before | Now | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| 717 S. Howard Ave. | Vacant since a 2024 fire | The Landon | Opened March 23, 2026 |
| 410 S. Howard Ave. | SoHo Saloon, 14 years | Good Luck Chuck's | Opened in May 2026 |
| 301 S. Howard Ave. | Former T.C. Choy's building | Howard & Platt | Opened July 23, 2026 |
| 901 S. Howard Ave. | Daily Eats, closed June 15 | Meeting House | Open by August 20, 2026 |
| 1002 S. Howard Ave. | Former Haven | Peddler + Potter Oyster House | Targeted for fall 2027 |
The Same Bet, Made Across the Street
Michael Stewart's choice at 717 S. Howard follows the same logic. The address had been dark for two years after a 2024 fire, and Stewart rebuilt on the same site instead of moving. The Landon is named for his son and sits across the street from AVA Inspired Italian, which he and his wife, Lindsay, named for their daughter. Chef Robert Hesse, who appeared on Hell's Kitchen, runs an elevated American menu with global influences. Ryan Yount oversees the bar, which now opens directly onto Howard Avenue. The building also includes two private dining rooms.
Down the street, Daily Eats closed at 901 S. Howard on June 15 for a rebrand. The space reopened as Meeting House, a modern take on the American diner serving lunch, dinner and weekend brunch. The longest-range bet comes from the Bern's Steak House group. It announced Peddler + Potter Oyster House for the former Haven space at 1002 S. Howard, with a fall 2027 target. That date falls after the construction start, so the restaurant is planned to open with the project already underway.
The Vote That Puts Those Habits on a Clock
The owners who spent 2026 building new reasons to visit South Howard were also some of the loudest voices at the September 17 meeting. Their concern was about lost routines more than the construction itself. Bern's owner and president David Laxer tied nearly 300 employees to the corridor and told council:
"Our customers will develop new dining patterns and group business will settle into other restaurants, other hotels, and those years of goodwill will be lost."
Stewart focused on traffic. He said the Selmon Expressway, the railroad tracks, one-way roads and dead ends already limit the routes in and out, and that a four-hour Swann Avenue closure once backed him up to Henderson Boulevard. Disser approached the debate from both sides. He is a former Parkland Estates resident who sold his home there to buy more commercial property on South Howard, and he told council that his businesses represent 162 employees.
Dozens of residents who have dealt with flooding spoke in support. Council Chair Alan Clendenin cast the deciding vote and said, "I believe the gravest risk is failing to act." Clendenin, Lynn Hurtak, Charlie Miranda and Luis Viera voted yes. Guido Maniscalco, Bill Carlson and Naya Young voted no.
How the Work Reaches the Street
Construction moves in sections, which shapes how residents will experience it. Kimmins Contracting Corp. will build roughly 7,000 feet of stormwater conveyance. That includes a box culvert about 10 feet wide and 10 feet tall, starting near Bayshore Boulevard and running north under South Howard to Swann Avenue. The sequence reported so far:
- November 2026: Utility relocation is expected to begin, according to TBBW's post-vote report.
- Spring 2027: Major drainage work starts near Bayshore Boulevard. The city's project page lists April 1, 2027, as the planned construction start.
- Through 2030: The corridor is divided into 24 zones of roughly 400 to 600 feet, and each section is restored and reopened as crews move north. Bay News 9 reported a September 2030 finish, and the city page lists August 31, 2030.
Bay News 9 reported that sections of South Howard between Swann Avenue and Bayshore Boulevard could be closed for up to a year. The project's construction FAQ adds more practical detail. Work hours are 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Friday, with limited night and weekend work. Bayshore's two southbound lanes would close for about 8 to 10 weeks, with one northbound lane switched over so traffic keeps one lane in each direction. An individual driveway could be blocked for 5 to 7 weeks, with temporary driveways and an off-site parking area offered as workarounds. The parking area would have 24/7 security and a golf-cart shuttle. That FAQ was published before the vote, and the city says the phasing plan is preliminary and could change.
The city's response to the habit question is a campaign called SohOPEN. It will use social media, billboards and other advertising to remind people that South Howard businesses are open during construction. Kimmins is also assigning a four-person team to help merchants stay accessible and coordinate deliveries. An independent firm will monitor vibration, and buildings along the route will be photographed before work starts.
What Is Settled and What Is Still Open
Settled as of early October 2026:
- The project is approved at $100.44 million, which combines $7.73 million in design work with Kimmins' $92.71 million guaranteed maximum price.
- Work begins near Bayshore and moves north in sections that reopen as they are finished.
- The Landon, Howard & Platt, Good Luck Chuck's and Meeting House are all open, and Peddler + Potter is still targeting 2027.
Not yet announced in published sources:
- A route-by-route detour map or the location of the off-site parking area.
- A launch date for SohOPEN.
- A date for the public information meeting the city has promised before construction begins.
- A final CSX permit for the 60-inch pipe crossing under the railroad tracks. City staff told council the design would meet CSX's technical standards if four requirements are met.
For the next few weeks, South Howard looks the way its operators rebuilt it this year. Detour and closure notices will be posted on the Alerts page of the project website as construction gets closer.
If you own a home near South Howard and are weighing how a construction timeline running into 2030 affects your timing, Laura Baker can walk you through the schedule block by block and build a plan for your property. Request a Complimentary Home Strategy & Valuation.
