Florida’s oldest restaurant keeps Spanish family roots alive

Tampa, Florida — Journey again to 1905 when Casimiro Hernandez, Sr. immigrated from Spain and Cuba to Ybor Metropolis. What was then only a nook cafe has now grown into an entire metropolis block with 15 eating rooms and 1,700 seats.

Now, 117 years later, Columbia Restaurant is proudly the oldest restaurant in Florida.

Fifth-generation household proprietor Andrea Gonzmart passionately speaks to Columbia’s allure.

“When individuals come to the Columbia Restaurant, I hope they really feel what I really feel after I stroll by way of the doorways – that w’ree not only a restaurant, that it is a household. And it goes past the relations, our staff are our household, and I believe you possibly can see that translate into our service and our meals,” she mentioned.

Their menu has many Spanish and Cuban classics like paella, arroz con pollo, and boliche. However Columbia’s cooks have curated signature dishes like snapper alicante and filet mignon chacho that you could solely discover right here.

You will not have any hassle deciding on the right wine to pair together with your meal. The historic Ybor Metropolis location has over 1,000 wines; the vast majority of them coming from Spain. Plus, they’ve an entire line of private-label wines that includes a lot of their relations names to maintain these household roots sturdy.

One in every of Columbia’s priorities is giving again to the group that has supported them for thus a few years, and so they achieve this by way of charitable donations and occasions.

“It is simply necessary that they know that we care,” Gonzmart mentioned.