Columbia Restaurant
 |
|
| Private | |
| Industry | Food Service |
| Founded | 1905 in Ybor City, Tampa, Florida |
| Headquarters | Tampa, Florida |
|
Number of locations
|
7 |
|
Area served
|
Florida |
|
Key people
|
Casey & Richard Gonzmart |
| Products | Spanish & Cuban Food, Wine & Entertainment |
| Revenue | $42M (1991-last published) |
|
Number of employees
|
1,200 |
| Parent | Columbia Restaurant Group |
| Website | www |
Coordinates: 27°57′36″N 82°26′6″W / 27.96000°N 82.43500°W
The original Columbia Restaurant, located in the historic Ybor City neighborhood in Tampa, Florida, is the oldest continuously operated restaurant in Florida, the oldest Spanish restaurant in the United States and one of the largest Spanish restaurants in the world with 1,700 seats in 15 dining rooms taking up 52,000 square feet over an entire city block. Founded in 1905 in, the landmark is still owned by the Hernandez/Gonzmart family and serves Spanish and Cuban cuisine.
In June 2009, the Columbia Restaurant was selected as one of the 25 iconic restaurants of the Tampa-St.Petersburg area by Laura Reily, the food critic of the St. Petersburg Times. Also Nation's Restaurant News named it a "Top 50 All-American icon."[1]
The restaurant's wine list contains more than 1,056 wines with an inventory exceeding 50,000 bottles, and Columbia has won several awards for their Spanish wines. They feature several private label wines that were created to honor the memory of family members, and the popular house Sangria is mixed tableside.
The restaurant features performances of flamenco, one of Spain's traditional dances, consists of rhythmic steps performed on a hardwood floor, and originated with Spanish Gypsies. It has evolved through the years to the more structured form we have become familiar with. Classical Spanish dances consist of ballet moves in colorful Spanish costumes accompanied by the sound of castanets.
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Wikipedia