Cole's BBQ Opens New Restaurant In North Tampa, Still Catering

If you're craving that sweet summer taste of down-home barbecue on the grill, Cole's BBQ in north Tampa awaits. Cole's opened in April at 17024 Bruce B. Downs Blvd.

Cole's uses recipes that have been in the Cole family for years. "They're homemade sauces my dad won cook offs with," says Bradley Cole, the new restaurant's owner.

The sauces and rubs at Cole's are slathered and cooked into meats that range from ribs, pork and chicken to beef and sausage. Sides include macaroni and cheese, baked beans, collard greens and fresh green beans.

Cole says his business began as a part-time catering enterprise. "I was a FedEX Brown operator and learned the area pretty well. Then I started doing some part-time catering around town and found that customers really liked my food. They started asking me when I was going to open a place."

Cole found the space on Bruce B. Downs needed little remodeling. "We basically added a few sinks," he says. "We didn't have to do too much more because it was formerly a restaurant. It's about 30 chairs in the sit-down area. And we offer take out and I'm still doing catering."

Cole's vision encompasses short- and long-term plans. "With football season coming up, we want to have games shown on our three TVs. We'll be adding more along the walls and add more beer and wine labels. And high school football is big around here. We'd like to get involved in that on Friday evenings."

And long term? "We'd like to get this established and open up a franchise," he says.

Writer: Missy Kavanaugh
Source: Bradley Cole, Cole's BBQ