Dear Friends and Neighbors,
For decades, Tampa's downtown has lagged behind St. Petersburg's in vibrancy. The good news: that is about to change. Given recent investments and commitments made by visionary investors, Tampa's downtown scene is growing in prestige and prominence -with fresh hospitality concepts such as Armature Works, Franklin Manor, The Hall, Ulele, and the newly opened Osteria, helmed by celebrity chef Fabio Viviani and the Nocturnal Hospitality Group. Having said that, this growth is only scratching the surface of Tampa's potential. So the NHG, along with like-minded restaurateurs, is attempting to up the ante even further with plans to open two more bar-centric restaurants on Franklin Street within a year's time.
Now for the bad news. A company out of Atlanta that owns Tampa's Nine 15 apartment complex has filed an aggressive suit against Franklin Manor citing the music from the patio is too disruptive for its residents. As many know, the locally owned Franklin Manor was conducting business for well over a year before Nine 15 was built. Nine 15 building owners chose us to be their anchor tenant mainly due to the success of Franklin Manor; now they want to bury it because it suits their financial needs. Franklin Manor has been accommodating in its efforts to reach a compromise and has consulted a renowned sound specialist recognized by our courts for the Mid Florida Credit Union Sound case.
However, it is evident to us at this stage that the owners of Nine 15 want to shut Franklin Manor down and have no interest in coexisting harmoniously. We believe this is a David vs. Goliath scenario where the overbearing developer throws their weight and money around with the sole intent of padding their pockets rather than benefiting the community.
Such litigation is financially draining, so we are asking for your help in the form of donations. Tampa, we have your best interests at heart! We've invested our life savings into our businesses to help realize a downtown we can all be proud of. But we need your donations to make it happen.
David Anderson & Lanfranco Pescante
Owners
Franklin Manor I Osteria Tampa I Mole Y Abuela
