TAMPA, Fla. — We’re highlighting the impact Latinos have had on the Tampa Bay area for Hispanic Heritage Month. This is the story of the oldest existing restaurant in Florida, told by Andrea Gonzmart Williams, the great-great-granddaughter of the founder of the restaurant. It was started by a Cuban immigrant and is a staple of Ybor City.
“My great-great-grandfather, Casimiro Hernandez Sr., came to Ybor City at the turn of the century like so many other Cuban and Spanish and German and Italian immigrants did at the turn of the century,” said Gonzmart Williams.
She said Hernandez Sr. began working at the Florida Brewery right down the street from the Columbia Restaurant when he was given an opportunity to open a saloon where he could sell their beer. “And that is when the Columbia Saloon, now known as the Columbia Restaurant was born,” she continued.
He came with his four young sons and his wife. Eventually, his oldest son, Casmiro Jr., took over the helm of the Columbia Restaurant. They grew from a corner café to 15 dining rooms and 1,700 seats. “He proudly served so many of the familiar items that they came to the Columbia Saloon for at the turn of the century. The Cuban dishes, the Spanish dishes that they missed of their homeland,” Andrea said.
Today, they still serve favorites like the Cuban sandwich, café con leche, Cuban bread, ropa vieja, and paella. “Columbia Restaurant truly is a celebration of my culture, of my family and what Ybor City represents today.”
As the oldest continuously operated restaurant in Florida, you can still dine at the original Columbia restaurant in Ybor City.
Just know that when you’re dining there, it’s not just Hispanic history, it’s Tampa Bay history.
