Tampa Bay’s most decorated restaurant group is crossing the bridge, and honestly, if you’ve been sleeping on downtown Clearwater’s comeback, it’s time to set an alarm.
Tastes Pretty Good Hospitality Group, the team behind Michelin-starred Rocca, Bib Gourmand-awarded Streetlight Taco, Bar Terroir, and the soon-to-open Spanish-inspired Lumbre, has announced its first Clearwater concept: Rippers, a casual American restaurant landing inside the fully restored Telephone Building at 534 Cleveland Street in the heart of downtown.
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Hot dogs are the star here, and not just any hot dog. Rippers centers its menu around the deep-fried “ripper,” a proud New Jersey tradition where a frank gets dropped into hot oil until it blisters, splits, and announces itself. That result is arguably more honest than most things you’d find on a tasting menu at twice the price. Round it out with burgers, chicken wings, sandwiches, fries, and handcrafted milkshakes, and you’ve got essentially the Holy Trinity of American comfort food, plus a couple of its very good cousins.
The location carries serious weight on its own. Built in 1914, the Telephone Building is the first historic landmark fully completed as part of Cleveland Street’s coordinated restoration initiative, rebuilt brick by brick, which is precisely the level of commitment a hot dog restaurant deserves. Culinary Director Bryce Bonsack said the moment the team walked in, they knew it was the right spot, and that the building and the concept simply belonged together. Honestly, that tracks. You don’t bring a hospitality group of this caliber into a space with this much history and then serve something forgettable.
CEO Nick Reader, who’s helped grow Tastes Pretty Good from a Tampa love letter into a nationally recognized operation, says the team saw something familiar when they looked at Clearwater. “We started in Tampa as a love letter to the city we grew up in,” Reader said. “When this opportunity arose to come to Clearwater, we understood the vision, we understood where it could go and we knew we wanted to be part of it.”
Cleveland Street is transforming block by block, with restored landmarks, new businesses, and a $50 million entertainment destination on the way. Rippers’ arrival signals that serious operators are paying close attention.
Rippers will open at 534 Cleveland Street in Clearwater. For details, visit their website.
