News broke at the end of last month that Tampa’s Gen X Tavern, the bar that has celebrated “the nostalgia, music, and culture of the 1980s and 1990s” for seven years at 103 Jackson St., will close its doors this July 4.
“It’s been a great run! Creating GenX Tavern was a passion project for me and I think I always knew the concept had a shelf life,” Managing Partner Dave Burton told What Now in an email conversation on Tuesday. “We will be closing GenX Tavern with a July 4 ‘End of an Era’ party. We will then close to remodel to launch our newest concept, Nagi by Soho Sushi. We anticipate a 3-month transition period with Nagi by Soho Sushi opening in the Fall.”
According to a press release shared by Burton, Nagi by Soho Sushi will offer lunch service (“designed for busy downtown professionals seeking high-quality, efficient dining”), dinner service (“highlighting elevated sushi, Japanese small plates, and premium whiskey offerings”), and late-night programming (“on Fridays and Saturdays, when the space will transform into a vibrant nightlife destination with DJs and late-night bites”).
“Change is inevitable and the only way to stay ahead of it is to recreate yourself,” Burton told What Now. “I’m incredibly proud of what we built and even more grateful for the love and support shown to us over the years. GenX may be closing, but the memories made there will always live on.”
Burton also reflected on some of the changes that have shaken things up in the restaurant world in Tampa Bay an everywhere.
“I could spend hours on this topic,” Burton said. “Inflation has definitely been a challenge as well as surging labor costs. In the last 5 years, minimum wage for servers and bartenders is up 116%. Other expenses like insurance have shot up exponentially as well. Couple those with the fact people are drinking less makes operating bar driven concepts in particular a bit more challenging.”
Those changes, especially the decline in alcohol consumption in recent years, have been a constant presence in recent reporting on restaurant developments. Still, some things haven’t changed much about the business:
“At the end of the day,” Burton says, “restaurants are all about hospitality and how we make guests feel when they both enter and exit our doors. Our goal with Nagi is to create something that feels both elevated and alive. A place where you can have a quick, exceptional lunch, a memorable dinner, or stay late into the night as the energy builds.”
You can keep up with all things GenX Tavern by following @genxtampa on Instagram.
