Bento Asian Kitchen + Sushi to make its debut in the Tampa Bay Area
With much anticipation, Bento Asian Kitchen + Sushi, a quick-casual pan-Asian restaurant with 9 locations throughout Florida, will officially introduce its concept to downtown St. Petersburg. Florida Retail Partners, an X Team partner, represented Bento in the 2,710 square foot deal with Joshua Sims of Vector Realty representing the landlord. The location is set to open at 330 Third Street South – in the base of the AER apartment building near the University of South Florida St. Petersburg campus.
The Downtown St. Pete location will be the 11th restaurant for Bento Café. “Bento and downtown St. Pete are a great match, said Sandia Wasserman of Florida Retail Partner who negotiated the deal. It’s already one of my favorite lunch stops in Gainesville.” Bento currently has restaurants in Gainesville, Tallahassee, Jacksonville, Orlando, as well as South Florida.
“We’ve been eyeing the Tampa Bay market for a few years now,” Bento Group owner Johnny Tung said. “Specifically, the downtown development boom in St. Petersburg has been amazing to watch. The growing business district, residential condo boom, nearby USF St. Petersburg campus, and the notable hospitals make the area a thriving market. Bento Café will be a great addition to downtown St. Pete with affordable grab and go lunch and dinner options. We’re also looking at locations in South Tampa and USF Tampa next.”
Bento Café, which plans to open in the spring of 2018, will feature 80 seats along with outdoor sidewalk tables. A few things that have gained Bento a loyal following, and prompted further expansion include:
- A vast, customizable menu including bento boxes, noodles and sushi
- Quick, casual service to cater to the constantly-growing “on-the-go” population
- A sleek, contemporary atmosphere modeled after popular cafes found in urban Taiwan and Japan
- Affordable prices with most dishes in the $7-$10 range
- Catering offered
About Bento: Bento Asian Kitchen + Sushi is an Orlando-based quick-service restaurant serving pan-Asian cuisine. Its menu includes sushi, rice and noodle bowls, bento boxes, and teas. Founded in 2002, Bento has plans of continued growth with several locations across Florida, and a team of over 400 individuals.
About Florida Retail Partners
X Team partner Florida Retail Partners was founded in 1997. Its Florida Retail Real Estate Specialists all have over twenty years of experience. The company’s focus has always been on retail tenant and landlord representation on Florida’s West Coast and Central Florida. This exclusive focus on retail includes diverse assignments ranging from tenant representation, land sales and consulting to leasing of both distressed properties in need of turnaround and upscale mixed-use projects with very specific co-tenancy parameters.