Retail Renovation coming to Kennedy Boulevard

Metro Diner, known for its massive platters of comfort food like chicken and waffles and fried pork sandwiches, is coming to South Tampa.

The restaurant is among several tenants that have committed to a strip center redevelopment at 4001 W. Kennedy Blvd. expected to be completed this year, Cushman & Wakefield of Florida Inc. announced Wednesday.

Metro Diner was founded in Jacksonville in 2000, but its headquarters moved to Tampa in 2016 when a group of veteran restaurateurs — including Outback Steakhouse co-founder Chris Sullivan — acquired 100 percent of the restaurant's intellectual property and set out on a national expansion plan.

The location will be 3,705 square feet. Tampa Bay's first Metro Diner opened in St. Petersburg in June 2016; another has since opened in Sarasota.

Earlier this year, Metro Diner landed a $30 million line of credit to fuel its growth for the next two years.

Tenants are committed to two-thirds of the space in the new strip center, which is expected to wrap up by year's end. Cushman's Jason Donald, managing director, and Todd Tolbert, associate, represented the ownership group, Pappas & Pupello Development LLC in the deals, which add up to 12,800 square feet. The renovated center will be 19,300 square feet.

Regarding construction, Tolbert said in an email that he expects construction to commence in the next 30 days and remain on track to be completed by the end of the year.

Here are the other tenants who have committed to the center:

• La Segunda Cafe, an Ybor City Cuban bakery, will "introduce a revamped cafe menu along with their Ybor classics" in 3,082 square feet
• Noire the Nail Bar, a nail salon
• Ubreakifix, an electronics repair shop
• T-Mobile
• Nékter Juice Bar