909 Grand Central Ave. (now Kennedy Boulevard) had long been a destination for food. In 1935, the Milian Brothers Sandwich Shop, which opened in 1934, offered a complete steak dinner here for $.25. Prior to that, the property served as a used car lot selling cheap cars during the Great Depression. By 1940, Dan Good’s sandwich shop had taken over; by 1946, it was Seeley’s Chicken Basket. Seeley’s moved to 2713 Bayshore Blvd. 1953, and Monty’s Chicken Basket, shown in this 1954 photo, moved in. In 1957, Jimmy Naylor purchased and renamed it Naylor’s Chicken Basket and Steakhouse.

While the name changed every few years, eateries had long been part of this property. It was convenient for University of Tampa students and is squarely in the gateway to downtown Tampa. Following Naylor’s was the House of Sandwich, Mr. T’s Ristorante Italiano, Mel’s Restaurant, Frankie’s Fast Food, and eventually The Outpost-one of Tampa’s original tap houses. In 2018 the University of Tampa, with its ever-expanding footprint in the area, ended the food reign when it purchased the property. By 2021, the building had been demolished, and a new facility for the University was constructed.

 © Chip Weiner. All rights reserved