TAMPA, Fla. — The mall walkers at Tampa's Westshore Plaza are doing double-takes at the new — well, sort of new — restaurant in the mall's food court.
Yes, that is the same Silver Ring Cafe that's been a local icon since 1947.
"It's so funny there are a lot of people coming up to us this week that used to go to the old Silver Ring," said Nelson Valdes, one of the men who helped revive the delicious history here.
And when customers try the world-famous Cuban sandwiches?
"They say, 'It's just like I remember! It's still the same!'" laughed Valdes.
The Silver Ring Cafe was in the heart of Ybor City for decades. It closed, reopened, and closed, impacted by rent hikes and fickle times.
A location sprouted up in Riverview, where loyalist Dana Neville still proudly serves that famous Cuban sandwich recipe: smoked ham, Swiss cheese, roasted pork, Genoa salami, pickles, and a choice of mustard, mayo, or secret sauce.
But it was time to bring the Ring back to Tampa for the first time since 2008.
So Valdes teamed up with Tim Booth; they've been friends for more than 50 years.
Tim's dad provided the meats to the restaurant back in the 50s, and his family still does.
Tim, who owns the name, and Valdes, whose mother was a longtime fan of the Silver Ring Cafe, found a good rent deal at Westshore Plaza.
The Ring is back and is still a hit 77 years later.
"We're an experience for sure," said Valdes.
