A former strip mall on North Florida Avenue is turning into nine restaurants under one roof, and the guy behind it already runs a well-known pizza spot in New York.
Hikari — the name’s still tentative, ownership says it could change before opening — is the work of Chong Yo and Hakki Akdeniz, the same Akdeniz who owns Champion Pizza in NYC. The 5,184-square-foot space at 4205 N. Florida Ave. is being built out into 8-9 separate concepts spanning Korean street food, Japanese fusion, Vietnamese fare, and American options including pizza and smashburgers from Akdeniz himself, with roughly 100 seats split between indoor and outdoor space.
It’s the biggest single food project hitting the Seminole Heights corridor, and a real bet that a food-hall model — multiple small kitchens sharing overhead and foot traffic — can work in a neighborhood that’s built its reputation on standalone restaurants instead.
Good to know: 4205 N. Florida Ave., Tampa; opening timeline has shifted before, so confirm current status before planning a visit around it.