Las Novedades Restaurant, 1430 7th Ave.

Las Novedades Restaurant, 1430 7th Ave

Las Novedades Restaurant, E. Broadway and 15th Street, front facade of two story stucco building with tile roofed tower. 1946 Burgert Brothers. Courtesy, Tampa-Hillsborough County Public Library System

Hotel Haya under construction, 7th Avenue and 15th Street, 2020. © Chip Weiner

Originally opened as Las Novedades Cafe at 1416 Broadway (now 7th Avenue), the operation moved to this building in 1946 and continued as one of the most popular Spanish food restaurants in Ybor City. It struggled later in the century, and in 1970, friendly competitor Ceasar Gonzmart, owner of the storied Columbia Restaurant, purchased the business with equal partner Jim Walter, a Tampa developer. It sold in 1972 to a New York conglomerate that opened it as a Steak and Brew. Since then, the building has accommodated many businesses, including El Goya (1975), the area's first gay dance club featuring a large dance floor and high-production drag shows.

It was set ablaze twice, and the fires were suspected to be arson by organized crime members who owned competing clubs. El Goya Mall (renamed after the first fire) closed in 1986, and the first Tracks Nightclub and then The Pleasure Dome filled the space until closing. The Nest Restaurant built a home there in 2009, then Buddha Lounge in 2010, and finally Czar Nightclub. It closed and merged with the Ritz Ybor in 2013. In 2018, the $52 million Hotel Haya project began, building a 180-room boutique hotel taking the entire block. The cigar-themed hotel opened in 2021.

From Burgert Brothers: Look Again, Vol. 2

Inside of the Las Novedades restaurant. 1940. Robertson and Fresh. Courtesy, The University of South Florida digital collection

Bartenders and waiters at Los Novadades. 1950. Robertson and Fresh. Courtesy, The University of South Florida digital collection

[A Cook At The Los Novedades Cafe]. 1940. Robertson and Fresh. Courtesy, The University of South Florida digital collection

Hotel Haya. 1400 block, 7th Ave. 2025. Chip Weiner.

Las Novedades Cafe [Original location 1416 Broadway], 1940. Robertson and Fresh. Courtesy, The University of South Florida digital collection