Tango Brew Coming to Jade at North Hyde Park
Wingspan Development Group and ABC Capital Corp. today announced Tango Brew, a coffee and wine bar with an Argentinian/Italian flair, will lease approximately 1,600 square feet of ground-floor retail space at Jade at North Hyde Park, a new 192-unit luxury apartment building at 608 N. Willow Ave. in Tampa’s burgeoning North Hyde Park neighborhood. Located near downtown Tampa and adjacent to the University of Tampa, Tango Brew is scheduled to open in late summer 2024.
Husband-and-wife owners Christopher and Nahara Walters envision Tango Brew as a warm, inviting space where locals can meet and connect over the perfect cup of coffee or glass of wine and small bites. The pet-friendly Tango Brew will have both indoor and outdoor seating for up to 66 people, including an outdoor bar and patio as well as a water and treat station for patrons’ dogs. Designed with an old-world, “speakeasy” aesthetic and featuring Tango music, the vibe at Tango Brew will contrast with the bright lights and subway tile of many newer coffee shops in Tampa, noted Nahara Walters.
“We want Tango Brew to be a home away from home, a ‘third place’ where people who live or work in the neighborhood can gather,” she said. “When we were looking for a location, we fell in love with the space at Jade. It has the exact indoor/outdoor flow we wanted and great foot traffic because of the university, a nearby hospital and police station, and two sizable apartment projects – Jade, as well as Wingspan’s NICHE apartment building, which is right around the corner.”
A breakfast menu will include blueberry bagels and sandwiches, as well as croissants and muffins from a local bakery. A drink printer will let Tango Brew baristas “print” the cafe’s logo or messages like “Happy Birthday” onto the foam of drink orders. The combined lunch and dinner menu will include bar bites like chicken wings, fries and signature Italian flatbreads with pepperoni, plant-based and other toppings. Italian and Argentinian wine and beers will be served, including from In the Loop Brewing owned by Chris and Nahara’s Walters’ family.
The couple’s extended family and friends own restaurants and hotels in Tampa and Argentina, and she grew up around the hospitality industry in Argentina, where many people have Italian roots; her hometown was Buenos Aires, the “Rome of Argentina.” “I fell in love with the idea of a restaurant based on these experiences and my Argentinian/Italian roots,” Nahara Walters said. “I wanted to do the same thing for Tampa, but with our own twist.”
“We created Tango Brew to be a catalyst for creating a community for everyone who lives or works in the neighborhood,” said Christopher Walters, adding the couple also was inspired by recent travels to Italy, especially small towns like Ravenna where cafes and public squares invite people to gather. “At a time when it’s easy for people to become isolated, we believe in the power of places like Tango Brew to bring them together. As the North Hyde Park neighborhood in Tampa continues to grow, that’s increasingly important.”
“Tango Brew will be a great addition to the neighborhood and a major amenity for Jade residents,” said Jason Macklin, director of development for Wingspan Development Group. “We’re excited to watch Chris and Nahara’s vision come to life here.”