The iconic Colonnade restaurant on Bayshore Boulevard, a go-to place for generations to celebrate family events, has closed to make way for a high-rise development in Tampa.
The final day for the Colonnade, which started as a drive-in, was Tuesday.
“The Whiteside family would like to express our deep gratitude to our staff as well as our loyal customers we have served over the past 80 years. We have been blessed to be part of the city of Tampa and its rich and enduring history," owners Jack “Smokey” Whiteside and Richard “Dicky” Whiteside said in a statement, according to the Tampa Bay Business Journal.
The restaurant, at West Julia Street and Bayshore, Boulevard is one of the last parcels on Bayshore entitled for a high-rise tower, according to a joint statement from the developers -- Ascentia Development Group and Batson-Cook Development Co.
The developers paid $6.2 million, according to Hillsborough County deeds filed Wednesday. The price includes the 1.63-acre Colonnade site on Bayshore and an additional half-acre parcel at 2907 W. Julia St., the Journal reported.
