Ippolito's Italian Restaurant, 700 Block- E Kennedy

John Ippolito opened his Italian restaurant downtown in 1966. Calling himself the King of Lasagna, Ippolito’s drew crowds for business lunches and steak dinners at 414 Tampa St. in the Flagler Building. In 1968, with two years left on his lease, Ippolito was told to move because the building was being demolished. He complied and moved to 407 E Kennedy Blvd, at the corner of East Kennedy and Florida Avenue, as seen in the Gandy photo.

In 1977, Frank Losurdo, who also purchased the downtown Tampa staple Goody-Goody’s in 1982, bought the business and kept the Ippolito name. By the mid-1980s, having fallen victim to the mass exodus of downtown business, they had baked their last lasagna, and the eatery closed. By 1987, the Golden Pagoda restaurant opened in its place, but it lasted only about a year. They demolished the building, and the site remained a parking lot for years.

In 2019, construction began on the Hyatt Place and Hyatt House hotels. Opening in 2021, the 345-room building is two hotels under one roof. Hyatt House rooms have kitchenettes and can accommodate extended stays. Hyatt Place offers standard rooms.  

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