Channel District Welcomes Six New Businesses, Tampa

Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn welcomed six new businesses to Tampa's Channel District by leading the “Grand Opening Express: A Ribbon Cutting Ceremony in Motion.”

The April 12th event marked the grand openings of Eleventwenty Cafe Bistro at 1120 E. Kennedy Blvd. #112, Ragin' Grill at 1719 W. Kennedy Blvd., Sea Dog Cantina at 1208 E. Kennedy Blvd. #114, The Salon 1.0 at 1208 E. Kennedy Blvd. #123, Twelfth Street Studio at 101 S. 12th St. #104 and Victory Coffee at 101 N. 12th St. #101.

With all six businesses located within a one-half mile radius, Buckhorn led a Segway tour to each -- “a ribbon cutting in motion.”

The businesses opened over the last four months, creating approximately 78 new jobs for people living in the Tampa Bay region.

“Young professionals like I see here are moving down here -- my staff can't even find a place to live,” Buckhorn told reporters prior to the ribbon cuttings. “The beds are here and the heads are in those beds. The retail's going to follow, the restaurants are going to follow, the commercial demand is going to follow.”

Coordinated by the Tampa Downtown Partnership, the event aimed to connect the mayor with each entrepreneur in a morning of congratulations designed to showcase the growing vibrancy of the Channel District.

Writer: Alexis Quinn Chamberlain
Source: Mayor Bob Buckhorn, City of Tampa
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