There are few records of the Victory Cigar Company at 2144 Main Street in 1946 when this photo was taken. In 1940, the city listed the property in an auction for back taxes. A boarding house on the second floor rented rooms by the day or week. Perhaps a more notable tenant was the Fourth of July Café that opened here and was a Tampa staple for decades. They moved to 1704 Howard Ave in the early 1930s, but their graphics are still slightly visible in this photo. By 1949, Alcazar Restaurant was located here. In 1951, the building sold for $9,800 to be used for a refrigeration and reprocessing plant, but it is unclear whether that purpose was ever fulfilled.

In the 1970s and into the 1980s, Bexley’s Bar B.Q. Ribs and Soul Fried Chicken ran their grill here. It was a hot, smokey shop serving genuine mopped-on seasoning for chicken and ribs. Customers could pick their sauce heat level but were cautioned if they ordered it hot. Next door, Mr.  B’s Dance Club also ran in the 1980s. The building was boarded up in 2021, but “Chicken” and “Gizzards” could still be seen on the door next to the police no-trespass warning stickers, and remnants of a neon “Mr. B’s” sign still hanging on the corner of the building. In 2022, rehabilitation began on the building; according to property records, the building was last sold in late 2021. A planned 1,637-square-foot office complex is in the works. In early 2025, the space is being offered for lease for $29 per square foot.

 © Chip Weiner. All rights reserved