The Moon Saloon, owned by Licata & Varde served imported wine, liquor, and cigars, stood here at 1601 7th Ave in 1904 before Gavino Gutierrez, an architect and civil engineer, built his second building here. The first was directly across 7th Ave. Gutierrez came to Tampa at the turn of the century believing there were large guava fields here. There were no guavas, but he stayed and built buildings, including cigar factories, instead. This 2-story brick structure housed the Ybor City Pharmacy and a post office on the first floor, with residential space on the second. Like much of Ybor City, the building suffered during and after the Great Depression. In 1966, the Barrio Latin Commission and Tampa Urban Renewal proposed a plan to remodel with a new façade and Spanish doors.

The historic district mainly remained vacant. Efforts to revive the area and regain the Latin character and feel came every decade or so but faded. In 1977, fire consumed the building, which housed 17 apartments, the Ybor Park Bakery, and the I Mercy Beauty Salon. It was heavily damaged but eventually rebuilt. Since that time, the building has housed several bars. Tabanero and Nicahabana cigar stores and Blue Devil Tattoo Parlor now inhabit the retail space on the first floor.

 © Chip Weiner. All rights reserved