Lara, a chef-owned restaurant in Tampa’s Ybor City neighborhood, has announced plans to close permanently. Owner and chef Suzanne ‘Suz’ Lara cited a lack of customer support and difficult economic conditions in her closure announcement.
Ybor City’s Lara Announces Permanent Closure
Owned and operated by local chef Suzanne “Suz” Lara, the restaurant Lara is an elevated and modern dining concept.
Her previous roles include executive chef at Ella’s Americana Folk Art Cafe and sous chef at Rooster & The Till.
With a long farewell message, the restaurant owner shared the closure announcement with the community. In the post, she wrote, “With a full heart, I’ve made the decision to close LARA.”
She wholeheartedly thanked the community and customers for their support and wrote, “You made this experience meaningful in ways that go far beyond a P&L sheet.”
The owner also added a note of appreciation for the staff and said, “Thank you for believing in this, showing up, putting your hearts into it, and helping me carry this dream as far as we did.”
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What Led to the Closure
In the post, the owner explained that the restaurant was not doing well and did not attract enough customers to remain sustainable. She said, “Without the steady support and resources needed to grow, LARA will never become what it was originally conceived to be.”
The owner assured the customers that, despite trying different ways to keep the business running, she was unable to find any solution.
“Rather than continue to stretch it thin, slowly bleed it dry, or turn it into a dive bar, I’ve decided it’s time to let it go,” continued the statement.
According to Creative Loafing Tampa Bay, the restaurant located at 1919 E 7th Avenue in Tampa will shut down its operations on November 22.
The Ybor City community can visit Lara until its last day of service and enjoy one more meal before its permanent goodbye.
