Exclusive: Vegan restaurant to take over Mirro's Pizza space in South Tampa
By Ashley Gurbal Kritzer
Tampa Bay Business Journal
Published:

A new vegan restaurant is taking over the former Mirro's Pizza space in South Tampa — and its founders hope it will be the first of several locations.

Husband-and-wife business partners Keith and Jill Sedita have leased the 1,500-square-foot space in San Miguel Plaza for Florish, which will have an entirely plant-based menu.

Keith Sedita, who left Tampa's Columbia Restaurant Group in June 2020 to focus on the concept, said Florish's total startup costs will be around $300,000. He hopes to open by the end of the year; if the location is successful, Florish will become a multi-unit restaurant chain. The Seditas envision Florish as a fast-casual brand with a heavy emphasis on takeout meals. There will be fewer than 30 seats, and guests can order online for pickup.

"We all know the cost of running a restaurant continues to go up for a number of reasons," Keith Sedita said, "and with the economics of it, it just makes sense to focus on a smaller restaurant."

Their entire family is vegan — including their 15- and 17-year-old sons, who made the leap to a plant-based lifestyle ahead of their parents. Brothers Demetri and Ethan are "aspiring environmentalists," Jill Sedita said, who co-founded Green Gasparilla to raise awareness of the effects of discarded plastic beads on marine life.

Florish will serve lunch and dinner; while it's too soon to reveal any specific dishes, Keith Sedita said the offerings will be a "flavor-forward menu that’s delicious and comforting."

"We’ve watched the demand for plant-based foods rise exponentially," he said. "Even meat-eaters are seeking it out."