Two-story commercial building- Former Hugo’s Spanish Restaurant

Commercial building, -stucco exterior and Spanish tile second story awnings, with upstairs apartments, corner of Howard Avenue and Morrison Street. 1930. Burgert Brothers. Courtesy, Tampa-Hillsborough County Public Library System

The SOHO Square, southwest corner of Howard Avenue and Morrison Street, Tampa, FL. 2022. © Chip Weiner

As was the custom in the 1920s and 1930s, this commercial building was constructed as a mixed-use building with retail on the bottom floor and apartments above. In this photo taken in 1930, the painted sign of the grocery store on the corner oddly reads “Clarence Saunders, sole owner of my name.” Some advertisements in newspapers have a Clarence Saunders, who declares that his work in some grocery stores is “protected by copyrights, trademarks, and patents granted by the United States.” Perhaps he was trying to trademark his name. Nonetheless, it’s an odd addition to a store sign. The center space facing Howard Ave houses the Dietz Drug Store.

This building will be familiar to many longtime South Tampa residents. For over 40 years, the iconic Hugo’s Spanish Restaurant served up Spanish-Cuban food here. In 2016, owner Hugo Sanchez decided to close up shop. The original plan was for the restaurant to reopen, but that was never realized. Several eateries tried for the next few years but failed to gain traction. A listing for the building in 2016 shows an asking price of $3.5 million for the 15,000-square-foot complex. In 2020, renovations began for The SOHO Square, keeping its mixed-use designation with four retail spots on the ground floor and 16 studio apartments above.

From Burgert Brothers: Look Again Vol. 2