Ybor City restaurant Lara will permanently close
Katherine oversees editorial operations across all six brands. Before joining The Meridan Group, she spent 14 years at the Minneapolis Star Tribune, where she led the metro desk through its digital transformation. She holds a Master's in Journalism from Northwestern's Medill School.
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LARA Apothecary Bar Bazaar in Ybor City, Florida. Credit: LARA Apothecary Bar Bazaar / Facebook After nearly two years in Ybor City, Tampa chef Suzanne “Suz” Lara says she will close Lara Apothecary Bar Bazaar (stylized LARA ). In a Wednesday afternoon social media post. Chef Suz did not give an exact closing date or reason for the closure, but did point to a lack of a regular dinner crowd as a factor. “The reality is that we haven t seen the consistent dine-in business needed to sustain a place like LARA,” wrote Chef Suz. “And while I wholeheartedly believe that cities need places like this — spaces that take risks, nurture creativity, and bring people together — we re also operating in an incredibly difficult economy. Without the steady support and resources needed to grow, LARA will never become what it was originally conceived to be.” Located at 1919 E 7th Ave., in the former Stone Soup Company location, Lara opened its doors in February of 2025 touting its “ap