Popular eatery shut down by COVID to re-open with a fresh new look

Timpano Italian Chophouse, one of Tampa’s most popular restaurants for nearly 20 years, is reopening before the Christmas holiday.

Lauren Gustafson, brand and marketing manager for the Tavistock Restaurant Collection, the Orlando company that owns Timpano, said an opening date has not been set but expects the eatery to start serving again by September or October.

She says there is construction underway inside and that the company has begun hiring new employees.

There will be some changes when the Timpano reopens, though.

Gustafson said it was going to be a “re-imagined Timpano, fresher, and it’s going to have some new brand colors and it's definitely going to feel more of the vibe of Hyde Park than it had.”

“It was starting to feel outdated before COVID. We’re hoping to freshen it up and be more in line with what Hyde Park looks like,” she says. “Definitely still focused on cocktails, Italian food. We’re really working to… play into seasonality and what Florida has to offer.”

Timpano sat right on the corner of W. Swann Avenue and South Dakota Avenue in Hyde Park Village for years. On most weeknights, and especially on weekends, well-heeled patrons sat outside watching pedestrians and being watched. The restaurant closed during the pandemic, though, and its absence was notable to anyone venturing out after dark.

Gustafson says that some previous employees are expected to return when Timpano re-opens. As for how familiar the menu will be, that is still unknown. It is still being worked on, she says.