Tokyo Swim Club, a new “retro Tokyo-inspired cocktail bar,” is opening in Ybor City this fall at 1229 E Eighth Ave, reported That’s So Tampa in late March. It’s a brand-new concept from the team that brought Kōsen to Tampa Heights.
This hospitality team, which for Tokyo Swim Club is led by Director of Beverage and Sustainability Mike Western and Kōsen Executive Chef Andrew Huang, has been active in the area in recent years. What Now reported last July on plans for Tanto, the cocktail lounge that has now opened next door to Kōsen.
This time, Western’s team is keeping its focus on cocktails with another lounge concept, but that doesn’t mean there won’t be food at Tokyo Swim Club: the That’s So Tampa coverage says it will feature izakaya-style dining, bringing sushi, hand rolls and yakitori to the table. These will be “crafted to complement the elevated drink offerings.”
“The vision for Tokyo Swim Club was admittedly selfish,” Mike Western said in a press release cited by TST. “I wanted to build what I felt was missing here: high-level execution that doesn’t feel pretentious, far away from corporate templates. I’ve always been drawn to highbrow/lowbrow ideas that exist comfortably in their own lane. Instead of chasing what we think people want, we built the place we wanted to be.”
Opening in the Casa Gomez building, Tokyo Swim Club will join the recently relaunched Mise en Place, whose move from Grand Central Avenue What Now covered last October. Tokyo Swim Club is expected to open this fall.
You can keep up with the opening by following @tokyoswimclub on Instagram.
