If you are looking for the soul of a community, chances are you’ll find it in the area’s kitchens, restaurants, bowls and plates. With that in mind, we can’t think of a better first retail establishment for our Tampa mixed-use development project, Encore!, than the food-truck-turned restaurant, Michelle Faedo’s Tampeño Cuisine.
Michelle Faedo and her husband, Robert, successfully ran their food truck for five years, sharing local flavors that they saw only grow in popularity. Tampeño cuisine, for the uninitiated, is based on the large influence of Cuban culture in the Tampa area. Now, they’re bringing that flavor, along with award-winning Cuban sandwiches and much more, to their new brick-and-mortar location in Encore!.
Much like Michelle’s new restaurant, Encore! is a story of growth and success. A redevelopment initiative sparked by the Banc of America Community Development Corp. and the Tampa Housing authority, this Tampa mixed-use, LEED certified, development spans 12 city blocks and more than 40 acres just north of downtown. Baker Barrios had the privilege of designing the community master plan, along with providing architectural and interior design services for three of their buildings: Ella, Trio, and Reed.
As Encore! continues to evolve, it’s both gratifying and exciting to see the development we were a part of welcome businesses like Michelle’s and a growing number of residents. We look forward to watching more neighborhood growth in the very near future.
