13 Nov Boat-up restaurant breaks ground on Tampa’s Rattlesnake Point
A boat-up restaurant that will serve fresh seafood and tropical cocktails is under construction just south of the Gandy Bridge on Tampa’s Rattlesnake Point.
Salt Shack on the Bay broke ground in October, The Sinclair Group, the general contractor on the project, said Monday.
Screamin’ Willy’s LLC, the group behind Salt Shack, is under the same management as Viper Ventures, which owns 31 acres on Rattlesnake Point overlooking Old Tampa Bay. In 2016, Port Tampa Bay approved a lease with Screamin’ Willy’s that would allow a waterfront restaurant to build a walkway and a floating dock with 12 boat slips.
Graeme Fraser, a partner in Salt Shack, was not immediately available for comment Monday. The restaurant is slated to open in early 2019.
“Salt Shack is a rare combination of spectacular bay views, gulf to table food, and casual waterfront bar scene. The rustic-refined beach getaway will feature an island-inspired menu offering seasonal cuisine, fresh-caught fish and tropical cocktails. Accessible by land or sea, guests will able to dock up or drive up,” the restaurateurs said in a statement.
Salt Shack is the latest of several new developments and investment in that area of the Gandy waterfront. In August, a group of South Carolina investors acquired Tampa Harbour Marina, home to Hula Bay Club, and rebranded it Port 32 with plans to bring a new, high-end aesthetic to the property.
Rattlesnake Point is also just south of Westshore Marina District, where hundreds of millions of dollars of multifamily units are under construction, with condo towers and retail to break ground in the coming months.