City Hatters opened for business at 610 Tampa Street in 1928, right next to the 12-story Stovall building that housed the booming Tampa Tribune. In the 1920s, hats were an essential part of a man's wardrobe, and many men owned more than one for different seasons.  It was also a time when business at retail stores downtown was brisk. The store was opened by two businessmen and Joe Adams, a hatter for 20 years. In 1931, City Hatters opened a second store at 307 Zack St., and by that time, was known as Joe Adam’s City Hatters. They remained at that location until the 1960s. In the 1970s, there was some sort of business named Shenanigans, with a store advertising it was formerly known as Adams City Hatters called Joe “Hats” Adams opening a store on Zack Street.  In 1975, Adam’s City Hatter was back on Tampa St., this time at 514 Tampa St. In 1978, believing the hype that a new pedestrian mall would bring customers back to downtown, they moved again to 808 N Franklin St, across from the former Kress and Woolworth buildings.

As the 20th Century progressed, City Hatters sometimes experienced a surge in business, notably when a celebrity donned a hat for a role, such as the iconic Fedora worn by Harrison Ford in the Indiana Jones movies. Joe Adams, the driving force behind the store, continued to contribute until his passing in 1984. The same year, the Adams sold the business to Fred Edminster, a prominent Tampa businessman. Men’s hats were out of fashion, and the company struggled. Following a string of robberies at the Franklin St store and the failure of the promise of improving retail from downtown, owners moved their operation to the 1600 block of 7th Ave in Ybor City in May 1991. They stayed open until 1996, when building owners J&D Entertainment tried to boot them and Blue Chair Records to open a nightclub. Edminster fought back, but the nearly 70-year-old store was closed.

The original location on Tampa Street was demolished in 1975 when Founders Life Assurance bought it, and did a $2-million re-build using the original rock foundation and steel structure. They changed the building’s address to 601 Ashley St. In 2023, the TLR Group bought the structure, and on January 2, 2024, they submitted a demolition application to the city. They want to replace it with a 43-story tower with 480 apartments, office space, retail, and restaurants, all located across the street from Curtis Hixon Park.

© 2024. Chip Weiner. oldtampaphotos.com