Malio's to anchor downtown steak scene

FloridaFuture · June 7th, 2007, 09:39 PM

Malio's to anchor downtown steak scene
Tampa Bay Business Journal - 2:59 PM EDT Thursday, June 7, 2007by Larry Halstead

A Tampa tradition is almost ready to return to the dining community.

Malio's, for 38 years a foundation of the business in-crowd at its South Dale Mabry location, is set to reopen in downtown Tampa in three weeks.

"We're going after Tampa's upper echelon, modeling ourselves after Bern's, Ruth's Chris, Capital Grille and Flemings," said Jason Fernandez, partner. But with the years of service in the past, Malio's needs no new introduction to the business crowd.

The average ticket for lunch is expected to be $20-$25 and for dinner $50-$60, said Malio Iavarone, founder and partner. Other than a slightly more opulent atmosphere, the restaurant is expected to provide the same personal service as before, Fernandez said.

More than $3 million has been spent to open the new Malio's, which sits across the river from the University of Tampa at 400 N. Ashley Dr. Urban Design Studio provided the architectural work.

Iavarone expects to bring back some old menu favorites, but will primarily focus on prime steak, despite the abundance of high-end steakhouses proliferating Tampa's business landscape.

"People here are meat eaters," Fernandez said.

Malio's will be one of the first additions to the developing Tampa Riverfront district that will eventually include the Tampa Museum of Art and other venues.

http://tampabay.bizjournals.com/tamp...l?surround=lfn

jonknee · June 7th, 2007, 11:53 PM

This is great news for DT, a top shelf independent restaurant. I can't wait to eat there.

Jasonhouse · June 8th, 2007, 06:34 AM

I'm excited to see this reopen... I went to the old one a few times over the years (go to Iavarone's more often though)... Hopefully it will be supported by the community in the face of stiff competition.

HARTride 2012 · June 17th, 2007, 03:50 AM

Cool, especially being that the Rivergate Tower (aka 400 N Ashley) has been almost 100% EMPTY for some time now.

smiley · June 17th, 2007, 05:03 AM

Um . . . no. It has a lot of vacant space but not that much

jonknee · June 17th, 2007, 09:15 AM

It was 65% full when it was bought by America's Capital Partners in 2005.

HARTride 2012 · June 17th, 2007, 04:48 PM

Yeah, but I knew at one time, from the defunct bayciti.net blog, that the tower was almost 75% empty. Hopefully a lot of the vacant space will be refilled over the next fifteen or so years.

Jasonhouse · June 17th, 2007, 05:11 PM

^The building is nowhere even remotely close to being 75% empty now, and frankly, I doubt it was ever that bad.

The worst occupancy rate was for a short time after BofA cleared out, but the space was paid for, so it was a sublet issue for BofA not so much a revenue issue for building ownership... And of course, having an abundance of available space for sublet isn't good for the health of the district's office market....

HARTride 2012 · June 18th, 2007, 05:14 AM

Maybe my memory is failing me.

HARTride 2012 · June 18th, 2007, 05:16 AM

Just kidding...but really. I thought I heard from that blog that the tower was pretty empty. I hate having to recall things that come from sources like bayciti. Especially now that it has been closed for so long.

randommichael · June 18th, 2007, 05:33 AM

I saw somewhere that it is about 30% empty at this point.

Air-Head · June 18th, 2007, 06:59 PM

I went to the pre-opening of Malio's last Thursday evening. Comapny i work for did some of the engineering for the space. Food was just as good as i remember the old Malio's... Should be a great location..

randommichael · June 20th, 2007, 04:22 AM

I have reservations for opening day!

jonknee · June 24th, 2007, 09:02 AM

Malio's was hopping tonight and according to a friend of mine that works there was even busier last night. The dollar numbers I heard were huge, a great opening weekend. You should all go, it's a huge win for downtown.

It's definitely the premiere restaurant in downtown (I haven't been to Gallagher's yet, but since Malio's is independent and has the Tampa history, I give it the edge). The interior is really well done with lots of river views.

I just had drinks tonight but someone I was with had food and said it was great. I'll be eating there soon, maybe next week. You can order food until 12 and they stay open as long as there are guests. They were offering us more bottles of wine at 12:45. From 3 until 5:30 every afternoon is happy hour with $5 appetizers from the old menu at Malio's (stuff like meat balls, a burger, etc). That should be great. The menu is pretty standard for a steakhouse, but the drinks menu is extensive. Over 300 wines and probably 100 liquors (tons of scotches and whiskeys, which is obvious considering their target demographic.)

If a nice restaurant goes into Skypoint there could be a trifecta of places between Fly, Skypoint and Malio's. Alive after five indeed.

HARTride 2012 · June 25th, 2007, 09:11 PM

Too bad I've never been to Malio's. I don't know If any of my relatives have (nor do I know if they know that the place reopened). I just went to the restaraunt's website and it looks pretty cool. They even post the menus online (I don't know if thats how the site was before the restaraunt moved).

http://www.malios.com

Tbpm · July 18th, 2007, 05:19 AM

still impressive. I hadn't been in the Sykes Tower in a while. I like what they're doing with it. Convenience store and cafe and Malio's on 1st level. Malio's prices are a good fit for the area. they'll do good biz.

Robert.Maddrey · July 18th, 2007, 06:13 PM

Having been to the old Malios on numerous occasions and having now visited the new location, I am very impressed with all that has carried over as well as a new infusion of ambiance and culinary delights. Hands down, I see good things coming from their forray into the down town Tampa market.

FLHawk · July 18th, 2007, 08:15 PM

Ate there a couple weeks ago on a Saturday night. Enjoyed the atmosphere, food was great, but to be honest our service really sucked. Lazy and apathetic is the best way I could describe it.

Considering the competition of higher end steak houses (Berns, Gallaghers, Flemings, Shula, etc.), they need to step it up and not rely on their old reputation. Could have been an isolated incident, but still.

I'm hoping they flourish at the new location. Great views outside on the river!

jonknee · July 18th, 2007, 09:16 PM

From what I heard the servers were hired and then just kind of tossed out there, so there definitely have been some service issues. Hopefully there will be some turn over and the right attitude instilled.

But the location is tops, definitely gives the others a run for their money.

orlandonative · July 18th, 2007, 10:23 PM

Tried Malios on a rescent trip to Tampa. Seemed very nice, but service was a bit slow. Hopefully they can find a way to turn the noise down in there just a bit, as it was difficult at moments to hear the colleagues that I was with. All in all though, with no prior experience to compare it to, it was a nice experience.

June 7th, 2007, 09:39 PM	#1
FloridaFuture Former Mod Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Tampa/Gainesville Posts: 5,234 Likes (Received): 0	Malio's to anchor downtown steak scene Malio's to anchor downtown steak scene Tampa Bay Business Journal - 2:59 PM EDT Thursday, June 7, 2007by Larry Halstead A Tampa tradition is almost ready to return to the dining community. Malio's, for 38 years a foundation of the business in-crowd at its South Dale Mabry location, is set to reopen in downtown Tampa in three weeks. "We're going after Tampa's upper echelon, modeling ourselves after Bern's, Ruth's Chris, Capital Grille and Flemings," said Jason Fernandez, partner. But with the years of service in the past, Malio's needs no new introduction to the business crowd. The average ticket for lunch is expected to be $20-$25 and for dinner $50-$60, said Malio Iavarone, founder and partner. Other than a slightly more opulent atmosphere, the restaurant is expected to provide the same personal service as before, Fernandez said. More than $3 million has been spent to open the new Malio's, which sits across the river from the University of Tampa at 400 N. Ashley Dr. Urban Design Studio provided the architectural work. Iavarone expects to bring back some old menu favorites, but will primarily focus on prime steak, despite the abundance of high-end steakhouses proliferating Tampa's business landscape. "People here are meat eaters," Fernandez said. Malio's will be one of the first additions to the developing Tampa Riverfront district that will eventually include the Tampa Museum of Art and other venues. http://tampabay.bizjournals.com/tamp...l?surround=lfn

June 17th, 2007, 05:03 AM	#5
smiley Registered User Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Tampa Posts: 4,098 Likes (Received): 0	Um . . . no. It has a lot of vacant space but not that much __________________ Do I contradict myself? Well then, I contradict myself. I am large. I contain multitudes. I don't pretend 'cause I don't care.

July 18th, 2007, 05:19 AM	#16
Tbpm closer Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Tampa/Annapolis/Ottawa Posts: 17 Likes (Received): 0	Ate at Malio's today... still impressive. I hadn't been in the Sykes Tower in a while. I like what they're doing with it. Convenience store and cafe and Malio's on 1st level. Malio's prices are a good fit for the area. they'll do good biz.

July 18th, 2007, 06:13 PM	#17
Robert.Maddrey Native Floridian Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Tampa, FL Posts: 817 Likes (Received): 0	Having been to the old Malios on numerous occasions and having now visited the new location, I am very impressed with all that has carried over as well as a new infusion of ambiance and culinary delights. Hands down, I see good things coming from their forray into the down town Tampa market. __________________ Robert W. Maddrey Editor & Owner Down Shift Magazine >> My Photos of Tampa <<

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June 7th, 2007, 11:53 PM	#2
jonknee Downtown resident Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Tampa Posts: 2,286 Likes (Received): 0	This is great news for DT, a top shelf independent restaurant. I can't wait to eat there.

June 8th, 2007, 06:34 AM	#3
Jasonhouse Registered User Join Date: Jul 2002 Posts: 12,277 Likes (Received): 8	I'm excited to see this reopen... I went to the old one a few times over the years (go to Iavarone's more often though)... Hopefully it will be supported by the community in the face of stiff competition.

June 17th, 2007, 03:50 AM	#4
HARTride 2012 Let's go... Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Tampa, FL Posts: 10,112 Likes (Received): 24	Cool, especially being that the Rivergate Tower (aka 400 N Ashley) has been almost 100% EMPTY for some time now.

June 17th, 2007, 09:15 AM	#6
jonknee Downtown resident Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Tampa Posts: 2,286 Likes (Received): 0	It was 65% full when it was bought by America's Capital Partners in 2005.

June 17th, 2007, 04:48 PM	#7
HARTride 2012 Let's go... Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Tampa, FL Posts: 10,112 Likes (Received): 24	Yeah, but I knew at one time, from the defunct bayciti.net blog, that the tower was almost 75% empty. Hopefully a lot of the vacant space will be refilled over the next fifteen or so years.

June 17th, 2007, 05:11 PM	#8
Jasonhouse Registered User Join Date: Jul 2002 Posts: 12,277 Likes (Received): 8	^The building is nowhere even remotely close to being 75% empty now, and frankly, I doubt it was ever that bad. The worst occupancy rate was for a short time after BofA cleared out, but the space was paid for, so it was a sublet issue for BofA not so much a revenue issue for building ownership... And of course, having an abundance of available space for sublet isn't good for the health of the district's office market....

June 18th, 2007, 05:14 AM	#9
HARTride 2012 Let's go... Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Tampa, FL Posts: 10,112 Likes (Received): 24	Maybe my memory is failing me.

June 18th, 2007, 05:16 AM	#10
HARTride 2012 Let's go... Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Tampa, FL Posts: 10,112 Likes (Received): 24	Just kidding...but really. I thought I heard from that blog that the tower was pretty empty. I hate having to recall things that come from sources like bayciti. Especially now that it has been closed for so long.

June 18th, 2007, 05:33 AM	#11
randommichael Registered User Join Date: May 2005 Posts: 1,414 Likes (Received): 0	I saw somewhere that it is about 30% empty at this point.

June 18th, 2007, 06:59 PM	#12
Air-Head Registered User Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Brandon Posts: 21 Likes (Received): 0	I went to the pre-opening of Malio's last Thursday evening. Comapny i work for did some of the engineering for the space. Food was just as good as i remember the old Malio's... Should be a great location..

June 20th, 2007, 04:22 AM	#13
randommichael Registered User Join Date: May 2005 Posts: 1,414 Likes (Received): 0	I have reservations for opening day!

June 24th, 2007, 09:02 AM	#14
jonknee Downtown resident Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Tampa Posts: 2,286 Likes (Received): 0	Malio's was hopping tonight and according to a friend of mine that works there was even busier last night. The dollar numbers I heard were huge, a great opening weekend. You should all go, it's a huge win for downtown. It's definitely the premiere restaurant in downtown (I haven't been to Gallagher's yet, but since Malio's is independent and has the Tampa history, I give it the edge). The interior is really well done with lots of river views. I just had drinks tonight but someone I was with had food and said it was great. I'll be eating there soon, maybe next week. You can order food until 12 and they stay open as long as there are guests. They were offering us more bottles of wine at 12:45. From 3 until 5:30 every afternoon is happy hour with $5 appetizers from the old menu at Malio's (stuff like meat balls, a burger, etc). That should be great. The menu is pretty standard for a steakhouse, but the drinks menu is extensive. Over 300 wines and probably 100 liquors (tons of scotches and whiskeys, which is obvious considering their target demographic.) If a nice restaurant goes into Skypoint there could be a trifecta of places between Fly, Skypoint and Malio's. Alive after five indeed.

June 25th, 2007, 09:11 PM	#15
HARTride 2012 Let's go... Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Tampa, FL Posts: 10,112 Likes (Received): 24	Too bad I've never been to Malio's. I don't know If any of my relatives have (nor do I know if they know that the place reopened). I just went to the restaraunt's website and it looks pretty cool. They even post the menus online (I don't know if thats how the site was before the restaraunt moved). http://www.malios.com

July 18th, 2007, 08:15 PM	#18
FLHawk Channelside Pioneer Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Tampa Posts: 603 Likes (Received): 0	Ate there a couple weeks ago on a Saturday night. Enjoyed the atmosphere, food was great, but to be honest our service really sucked. Lazy and apathetic is the best way I could describe it. Considering the competition of higher end steak houses (Berns, Gallaghers, Flemings, Shula, etc.), they need to step it up and not rely on their old reputation. Could have been an isolated incident, but still. I'm hoping they flourish at the new location. Great views outside on the river!

July 18th, 2007, 09:16 PM	#19
jonknee Downtown resident Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Tampa Posts: 2,286 Likes (Received): 0	From what I heard the servers were hired and then just kind of tossed out there, so there definitely have been some service issues. Hopefully there will be some turn over and the right attitude instilled. But the location is tops, definitely gives the others a run for their money.

July 18th, 2007, 10:23 PM	#20
orlandonative Registered User Join Date: Sep 2005 Posts: 239 Likes (Received): 0	Tried Malios on a rescent trip to Tampa. Seemed very nice, but service was a bit slow. Hopefully they can find a way to turn the noise down in there just a bit, as it was difficult at moments to hear the colleagues that I was with. All in all though, with no prior experience to compare it to, it was a nice experience.