Lara, the chef-owned restaurant at 1919 E. Seventh Ave. in Tampa’s Ybor City, will close permanently after its final service on Sunday, Nov. 22, according to WhatNow Tampa. Chef and owner Suzanne “Suz” Lara said the restaurant did not draw enough customers to remain sustainable.
“With a full heart, I’ve made the decision to close LARA,” Lara wrote in her announcement. She said that without steady support and resources to grow, the restaurant would never become what she had originally envisioned.
For Tampa diners, the closure leaves less than two weeks to visit. Lara opened in February 2025, so it is closing after less than two years on Seventh Avenue.
A Concept Built Around a Bar, a Bazaar and a Kitchen
Lara was never meant to be a standard restaurant. When the chef announced the concept, she described three parts: a bar, a “bazaar” selling locally grown produce, artisan goods, and hard-to-find chef ingredients, and an intimate kitchen, Creative Loafing Tampa Bay reported. The business opened as LARA Apothecary & Bazaar, with an apothecary-inspired drink program…