Jim Fiore inches toward finally completing his high-end steak house concept, J. Fiore’s (895 Central Ave), since leasing the space in April 2023. Fiore describes the restaurant as “a Tampa Vibe with a flare of Miami” with “Items you can’t find at other high-end steak houses.”
While an exact date is TBD, Fiore tells I Love The Burg that he’s looking at 5-6 more months before he debuts the restaurant. According to Fiore, the restaurant’s concept is commensurate with premier establishments such as Eddie V’s Prime Seafood and Ocean Prime (both highly regarded).
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Fiore’s keeping the menu a secret for now until it’s finalized, but what we do know is that the menu will be huge, featuring high-quality meats like Australian and Japanese wagyu beef, and that the concept will stand apart from everything else on Central Ave. Great news, considering J. Fiore’s will debut out of the former Union Trust building, a historic landmark. “The historic landmark ties into [the menu] being totally different,” Fiore teases, amplifying the mystery as to what’s going on behind the paper-covered windows.
100-year-old historic landmark will house J. Fiore’s steak house
Designer Angie Wetzle of InterLux Design is behind the interior design work, but much of the building will remain the same: the gorgeous arched brick windows (22 total), the historic clock, and the original bank vaults in the basement from when the building was the Union Trust starting in 1926. For the last 100 years, the building has narrowly avoided the wrecking ball, thanks to Preserve The ‘Burg, a local advocacy group.
In a 2023 article article published by Preserve the Burg, preservationist and Preserve the Burg board member Emily Elwyn notes, “Almost every loan, land sale, home mortgage or savings account started at the stately Union Trust building.” In 1997, Preserve the Burg successfully lobbied the City Council to designate the bank a historic landmark, stopping the demolition that would have made way for a parking lot.
The bank’s unique features make J. Fiore’s restaurant one of the most exciting and anticipated debuts on Central Avenue. We eagerly await seeing what Jim Fiore has done with the 12,000-square-foot architectural marvel.
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