A SoHo Comeback: Howard & Platt to Revive the Former TC Choy's Building July 23

One of South Howard Avenue's most recognizable buildings is about to fill up with the smell of dinner again. The former TC Choy's space — vacant for years at the corner of Howard and Platt — is being reborn as Howard & Platt, a full-service restaurant and bar that is set to open July 23, according to Tampa Bay Business & Wealth.

For SoHo regulars, this is a notable shift on a corridor better known for its after-dark energy. The new concept comes from hospitality operator Michael Disser, whose South Howard footprint already includes Sunset Rodeo, Good Luck Chuck's and Corner Bar. Disser told the outlet that the building's long history helped shape what he's putting inside it — something elevated enough for the location, but still casual enough to fold into a normal week.

Built for the regulars, not just special occasions

The pitch behind Howard & Platt is repeat business. Disser told TBBW that pricing is being designed around customers who might come several times a month — weeknight dinners, after-work drinks, weekend brunch — rather than a once-in-a-while splurge. He framed it as a restaurant people could "work into their regular routine," noting that while South Howard has plenty of energy, there was room for something that fits everyday life on the block.

That "everyday" framing matters on a strip long defined by late-night traffic. Disser said the plan is to be a restaurant first, but to keep some energy as the evening rolls on — connecting dinner service to the late-night rhythm SoHo is already known for, while staying distinct from it.

What's going into the space

The building has sat empty since the longtime TC Choy's Asian Bistro closed, and the reopening will return the property to restaurant use for the first time since. According to a project description from The Sinclair Group cited by What Now Tampa, the work is an interior buildout of a full-service restaurant and bar inside roughly 6,325 square feet, transforming the long-vacant space into what it called SoHo's "next dining destination," complete with exterior dining.

Plans described to local outlets include a private dining room and a covered patio, with service expected to stretch across the day — from brunch to dinner to the start of a night out.

Part of a bigger SoHo reshuffle

Howard & Platt isn't happening in isolation. Disser's portfolio along the corridor has been in motion: after 14 years, the SoHo Saloon permanently closed its doors earlier this year, with the operator announcing a rebrand into a retro live-music concept called Good Luck Chuck's, according to Creative Loafing Tampa.

Other restaurateurs have pointed to the same trend. In coverage of unrelated changes nearby, one operator described South Howard as a corridor that is "evolving," citing Disser's new openings as part of that shift, per Creative Loafing.

Why it matters locally

For South Tampa residents, the reopening of a high-visibility corner that's been dark for years is a small but real signal about where the neighborhood is headed — more daytime and dinner-hour options layered onto SoHo's traditional nightlife. If the "regular routine" pricing holds up as described, it could become one of those everyday neighborhood spots the area has been short on.

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