Datz, a long-time favorite restaurant in South Tampa, will closing its doors for good next month after more than a decade of service.
The chain restaurant at 2616 S MacDill Ave. has served the community for 14 years, but the sale of the facility and adjacent real estate has caused the owners to close, according to a news release. Dough, Datz’s neighboring sibling bakery, has also shuttered for the same reason.
Suzanne and Roger Perry, the restaurant’s founders and co-owners, announced the closure on Thursday, saying it was a “difficult decision to close the doors,” but they’re grateful for all the memories they’ve built in South Tampa, their “original home.”
“We have made the difficult decision to close the doors of Datz and Dough on South MacDill Avenue but are forever thankful for the memories in South Tampa, our original home. Since opening in 2009, we have been surrounded by an amazing community that has supported our many endeavors,” the Perry’s said in a statement.
“Whether it was creating the “Amazon Warrior” burger for the “Wonder Woman” movie, teaming up with Jesse Palmer for a Good Morning America feature on The Cheesy Todd or competing on TV such as Food Network’s Doughnut Showdown, we are grateful to our Tampa neighbors for embracing our fun, fanciful ideas and unapologetic pursuit of flavor in ways we could have never expected when we first opened.”
“It’s humbling to know that simply by serving good food to good people, we were able to create so many memories, from lighthearted ones such as when Pearl Jam unexpectedly showed up for lunch on our patio, to milestones such as when a wounded veteran came to our rescue and overpaid by thousands for a bottle of rare bourbon we were selling so that we could make payroll during the first weeks of the pandemic.
“We will fondly remember the hundreds of everyday interactions with our favorite regulars over beer and cocktails.”
“We are also extremely thankful for our amazing staff – many of which have been with us for over a decade andwill be moving to our other stores, if possible – for tirelessly going along with our endless stream of changes and making great memories for our guests every single day with their personalities and smiles.”
“We will miss South Tampa greatly, but we hope we were able to bring some out-of-the-box ideas to the local food scene and make eating fun. We thank you for all the years of support and encourage you to keep supporting business with crazy ideas that keep meals fun-loving and keep people together.”
Datz in South Tampa will formally close on August 27, 2023.
According to the announcement, the Datz outlets in St. Petersburg (180 Central Ave.) and Riverview (6264 Winthrop Town Centre Ave.) will stay open and under original ownership.