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MICHAEL CANNINGThe popular Pane Rustica will not only nearly double its space, the menu will also expand, the owner says.
One of the toughest lunch seats to come by in South Tampa will soon get easier.
Pane Rustica, which has built a loyal following with its European-style artisan breads, sandwiches, soups and pastries since opening in 1999, will move to a larger space in March.
The popular bakery/cafe at 2821 S MacDill Ave. will move a few blocks south to the Palma Ceia Village shopping center. It will occupy a portion of the former Giancola's Market and a neighboring 1,500-square-foot storefront, formerly the Buy Best Beauty Outlet. Buy Best moved three doors north in late November.
Pane Rustica co-owner Kevin Kruszewski estimates he loses up to 30 customers a day because of the limited seating and parking at his current place just north of Bay to Bay Boulevard. The new location will nearly double his space to 5,000 square feet and increase his seating capacity from 25 to 88. The Palma Ceia Village's large lot will also make parking easier.
Kruszewski says the menu will also expand, but the Pane Rustica concept will remain intact. The restaurant's current Tuscany farm house look will stay, as will the casual black dress code for the wait staff and progressive mood music.
It will be the Pane everyone knows, just bigger, said Kruszewski, who runs the restaurant with his wife, Karyn.
A cooking line equipped with a hardwood grill and pizza oven will extend into the dining area. It's a design element intended to create "a lot of frenetic energy, and a lot of interaction with our customers," he said.
All of the current menu favorites will remain, Kruszewski said, including high-stacked paninis, flatbread pizzas, and bouquetlike cafe salads. Dinner items and hours will be added.
The Kruszewskis met at Bowling Green State University and moved around New England for a few years. During that time, he graduated from the Culinary Institute of America and worked at several restaurants. They decided on South Tampa in 1997 after visiting relatives in the area.
After a lengthy preparation, they opened their small Palma Ceia storefront. Kruszewski recalls having to stand outside and hand out bread at first, but once word got around, business boomed.
Before long, it was obvious they needed to expand. But Kruszewski resisted several offers from would-be investors intent on franchising the concept. "If I had $10,000 from every person that wanted to expand us, I'd be retired now," he said.
Expanding, but not multiplying, was the only acceptable next step. "I firmly believe that once you expand to more than one location, there's also something missing. Someone else won't do it with the same degree of concern as you would as an owner. Everything I do is a part of me. Our secret ingredient ... is a lot of love."