Tampa restaurant company to close flagship Goody Goody location

Goody Goody, a famous burger restaurant brand in Tampa that lasted 80 years before closing and then later being resurrected by the owners of Columbia Restaurant, is shuttering its flagship Tampa location. 

The closing, regarding the Hyde Park Village location that opened in 2016, was announced in a late Monday evening Facebook post. The company that owns the brand, the 1905 Family of Restaurants, says in the post, in part, that the closing decision comes “as we evolve and adapt to changing circumstances.” The note also states that the landlord, WS Development, “worked tirelessly alongside us to explore every possible solution.” 

1905 Family of Restaurants President Richard Gonzmart, the fourth-generation leader of the company, signed the letter posted to Facebook. “Because I know people will ask, our company is in great shape,” Gonzmart writes. “Sometimes we must make business decisions with our head as well as with our heart.”

Goody Goody will remain open from 9 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. through Sunday, Sept. 29, with a limited menu, the post states. 

Goody Goody, the brand and the burgers, is not entirely going away. The company will continue to operate a Goody Goody at Airside C at Tampa International Airport, a location that opened in 2017. Also, Columbia Café at the Tampa Bay History Center on Water Street in Tampa will feature the Goody Goody Burger P.O.X., Cheeseburger P.O.X., Hyde Park Burger and Butterscotch Pie starting Oct. 1. 

Goody Goody debuted in 1925 on Grand Central Avenue, now Kennedy Boulevard. It grew by word of mouth through its pies and burgers. The last location, on Florida Avenue, closed in 2005. In 2014, after years of negotiations with the owners of the brand, the Wheeler family, Gonzmart acquired Goody Goody. The Hyde Park Village location opened two years later.