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What Do You Wish Were Here?

Tell us what you would like to see fill this Hillsborough Avenue location.

 

Since the closing of China Panda restaurant, the location at 1002 East Hillsborough Avenue has sat empty.

With a Tampa favorite in the Taco Bus stationed right across the street as well as Ella's and a handful of other restaurants within a few blocks, the location is in a high traffic area proven to help restaurants succeed.

The 2,400 square foot building has its own parking lot and is already zoned for restaurant use, yet it has sat vacant for the better part of a year.

We want to know: What do you wish were at this location? Perhaps a Mongolian Grill or doughnut shop. Maybe a completely different type of business. Tell us in the comments section below.

Related Topics: What Do You Wish Were Here?

Heike Doiron

9:49 am on Saturday, September 29, 2012

A 1950s retro-style diner for Sunday brunches.
or Smoothies shop.

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Pamela Meeks

2:23 pm on Saturday, September 29, 2012

Evo's would be awesome, or maybe a sushi bar.

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Central Ave resident

3:34 pm on Saturday, September 29, 2012

The building is an old weathered dump. Would be just fine with me if they made it parking for business next door and (church?) behind this property.

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Tim OHara

4:01 pm on Saturday, September 29, 2012

A police rest station so hookers bums and druggies have 1 less place to use as a bathroom sex or dug use what do ya say Tampa PD

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MDB

9:13 pm on Saturday, September 29, 2012

once again.....fedex or ups store.

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damita

11:29 am on Monday, October 1, 2012

How about a GYM. Maybe a U-Fit or Anytime Fitness or something everyone can afford.

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damita

11:34 am on Monday, October 1, 2012

...on that note, how can we be part of Tampa's Beautification Project, where they add palm trees to the medians and paint pretty crosswalks with brick. I think PALM TREES, greenery, fresh paint and light posts make any area look more inviting.

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Shawn Hicks

11:15 am on Tuesday, October 2, 2012

There was an attempt to buy it and open a liquor store. Residents weren't happy about that given the crime issues on Hillsborough Avenue. The church behind it on the alley has been using the parking. If they lose that lot they will have to find replacement parking or be out of compliance with city code. (Not that the city actually does anything about code violations--it's a free-for-all.)

The building and parking lot are too small to host anything large or that needs to seat a lot of people. So "brunch" is out--which is a shame because there is high demand for weekend breakfast in the area. I'd think a deli would be successful that was open for lunch/dinner and late on weekends. This also has a high amount of to-work traffic flow which suggests it could serve commuters driving West-bound to get on the freeway in the morning--coffee and donuts.

Personally, I'd love to have an asian noodle house that specialized in pan-asian comfort food. Pad Thai, bibimbap, Vietnamese bun, chinese dumplings, and fresh raman.

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Chris Taylor

5:33 pm on Tuesday, October 2, 2012

Those are some good ideas. Shawn, really strong depth in some of those thoughts. I gotta say, a noodle house sounds yummy.

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