TAMPA, Fla. — Patrons were shocked to learn that a longstanding Ybor City staple abruptly closed its doors this week.
The Stone Soup Company announced on Monday, April 29, that it would be closing effective immediately after 13 years of serving homemade soups, award-winning Cuban sandwiches and an array of comfort food to the Tampa Bay community.
"We would like to thank all the current and past employees, the Ybor and Tampa community, and our guests who have supported us over the last 13 years," the team wrote on the restaurant's Facebook page. "We appreciated the opportunity to serve you all! Thank you!"
More than 250 loyal Stone Soup Company customers commented on the post to share how heartbroken they were over the restaurant's closing and wish the staff well going forward.
"Very sad to hear this. We always look forward when we fly into Tampa to pop in for our Cuban!! Best dipping sauce ever. Wishing the owners and staff well in their next chapter," one patron wrote.
"Ilya Ben Goldberg and Debbie Thomas built an iconic Ybor institution, with unforgettable food and atmosphere, " another customer wrote. "I know they sold it a year ago, but everyone hoped that their legacy would continue long into the future."
In November 2022, Stone Soup Company owner and CEO Ilya Benjamin Goldberg announced he would be retiring and converting the restaurant into an employee-owned model through the company Teamshares.
“It allows to us to retire early as we set course for the next chapter in our lives while leaving behind a Legacy for our employees. This ensures that Stone Soup can never be sold again and will around for many years of growth," he said at the time.
The Stone Soup Company's closing comes during a period of transformation for Ybor City's historic 7th Avenue. In the past few months, several other Ybor City bars and restaurants have shut down, including Florida Cane Distillery, White Lie, Zydeco Brew Works, First Chance Last Chance, Boneyard and Rock Brothers Brewing.
A spokesperson for The Stone Soup Company sent the following statement to 10 Tampa Bay.
Leading Stone Soup under Teamshares' ownership was an incredible experience, though an ultimately difficult outcome. Teamshares provided extensive personnel support and funding as we worked to overcome significant challenges, yet despite their support we had to make the difficult decision to close The Stone Soup Company. I'm grateful to Teamshares for their partnership, transparency, and generous severance support for our employees during this transition. I continue to deeply believe in the power of their unique employee ownership model and would recommend any independent business owner who does not have a prepared succession plan to consider their employee ownership model.
