Valencia Garden Restaurant at 811 Grand Central Avenue. 1952. Burgert Brothers. Courtesy, Tampa-Hillsborough County Public Library System
Maureen A. Daly Innovation and Collaboration Building, 820 W North A Street, Tampa, FL Tampa, FL. 2021. © Chip Weiner
In 1927, Manuel Beiro opened Valencia Garden Spanish restaurant and lounge near downtown Tampa. Over the next couple of decades, it became an institution where power lunches with politicos and business leaders in Tampa took place. Long-time Tampa residents may remember Beiro’s weekly late-night appearance on Channel 13 and sportscaster Andy Hardy just before the monster flicks of Shock Theater. “Salud and happy days,” Biero would say as the pair toasted the TV cameras while promoting the restaurant. It became an oft-repeated phrase among Tampa residents.
After 82 years, the tradition was over. In 2009, the city lost another piece of its history when the University of Tampa purchased the property as it expanded its footprint in the area. It demolished the building in 2010 to build what is now the Maureen A. Daly Innovation and Collaboration Building, which opened in 2015. For many, it was the end of an era.
From Burgert Brothers: Look Again Vol. 2
Before Manual Biero's opening, the restaurant was a vacant storefront designed by architect Nicholas Mitchell, with the Colonial Hotel behind it that would become Biero’s home.
The Valencia Garden was hit with a catastrophic fire in April 1966, destroying the building and ruining the living quarters of owners Manuel Beiro and his wife, who had an apartment above the restaurant. The couple had prized possessions brought from Spain, and they were all torched in the fire. The 4-building blaze also destroyed the Fellow Motors car lot building next door. Valencia Garden reopened in October 1966 with a brand-new interior and used the now vacant lot from the adjacent burned-down building as a new parking lot.
Unoccupied storefront, in front of Colonial Hotel, 803 Grand Central Avenue. 1926. Burgert Brothers. Courtesy of the Hillsborough County Library System.
Owners Mr. and Mrs. Manuel Beiro lived in an upstairs apartment. The fire gutted their quarters and ruined family heirlooms. © Skip Gandy. Courtesy of the USF Digital Collection
A 1966 catastrophic fire partially demolished Valencia Gardens. It was rebuilt and re-opened within a year- © Skip Gandy. Courtesy of the USF Digital Collection
The interior of the restaurant, including priceless paintings, was destroyed in a 4-building fire in 1966. © Skip Gandy. Courtesy of the USF Digital Collection
The original Valencia Garden Restaurant was rebuilt. © Skip Gandy. Courtesy of the USF Digital Collection
Valencia Garden Restaurant at closing in 2009. © Chip Weiner
Valencia Garden Restaurant Property in 2011 after demolition. © Chip Weiner. The former Fellows Motors can be seen to the west of the property. It was also demolished.