Popular steakhouse Seltzer's closes one of its three locations

A popular Pinellas County chain of steakhouses has shut down its Clearwater restaurant after the property was sold.

Harold Seltzer’s Steakhouse, related to the Sam Seltzer’s Steakhouse chain, announced the closure in a Facebook post June 30, saying July 1 was going to be its final day at the 2930 Gulf-to-Bay Blvd. location.

The restaurants at 3500 Tyrone Blvd. N. in St Petersburg and 9409 U.S. Highway 19 in Port Richey, in Pasco County, remain open.

“Shortly after we opened during the height of COVID in 2020, our landlord stopped paying its mortgage on the property, went into default and then foreclosure. Because its mortgage predates our 20-year lease, the new owners have the legal right to cancel our lease and evict us. Since they believe they can rent the property to another restaurant at a much higher rent, they aren't giving us the option of staying under the terms of our lease, so we have no choice but to close,” the post, signed by Harold Seltzer, says.

“It has been my honor and privilege to serve the people of the beautiful city of Clearwater, both from 1997 as Sam’s and since 2020 as Harold’s.”

Pinellas property records show the property was bought in 2015 by Qamm Properties Inc., which filed for and exited from bankruptcy in 2021. Records have not been updated to reflect a sale.

The chain, according to a family history on the restaurant’s website, traces its roots to Montreal where the family’s patriarch Sam Seltzer was a butcher for more than 60 years. One of Sam’s sons, and Harold’s father, carried on the family tradition.

Harold went his own way, attending law school and practicing commercial law until he moved to Tampa in 1995 and launched Sam Seltzer’s Steakhouse — which became a fixture on Florida’s West Coast.  

The chain shut down in 2010 and Harold, who had left the business in 2005 to “pursue other ventures,” opened The Original Harold Seltzer’s Steakhouse in St. Petersburg and New Port Richey the same year.