Lucky Tigre has moved to a new restaurant space in Old West Tampa

The popular Filipino American spot is just a block away from its old location.

TAMPA — Lucky Tigre finally has a new home.

On Wednesday, the popular Filipino American restaurant opened the doors to its new brick-and-mortar space in Old West Tampa. It’s the first Lucky Tigre concept with indoor seating and, perhaps more importantly, air conditioning.

For chef and owner Julie Sainte Michelle Feliciano, the opening couldn’t come soon enough, even if things didn’t work out exactly as planned.

The new restaurant, at 1901 N. Howard Ave., is right around the corner from Lucky Tigre’s previous home, a food trailer sidling a vacant building and a tented area with picnic tables. Feliciano, 27, runs the business with her husband, Seanissey Loughlin. The couple had originally planned on opening a Filipino American diner inside the building next to the food truck, at 1713 N. Albany Ave., but when the opportunity for a more readily available space appeared, they decided to take the plunge.

“We had to pivot because summer was insane and brutal in so many other ways,” Feliciano said. “There was a space in the neighborhood close by, and so we decided to move into (it). We just needed to be inside.”

The move marks another shift for the evolving business, which grew out of Feliciano’s pandemic pop-up Good Fortune Baby and included a two-year stint as a sari-sari counter at 1101 S. Howard Ave. It was there that Lucky Tigre really built its fanbase, with people traveling from all over the bay area for Feliciano’s creative plays on Filipino American cooking. Dishes like her spicy tocino pork dumplings with tangy garlic-and-soy dipping sauces, coconut-ginger braised greens and chicken adobo bao buns helped solidify the restaurant’s stronghold.

The new spot is the culmination of a weeks-long project that included many long nights and very little sleep, Feliciano said. With a lot of help from friends and family, the couple completely revamped the corner-building space, often working till 4 a.m. after running the food truck all day. Feliciano, who has a knack for thrifting and vintage finds, spent hours perusing Facebook Marketplace for decor.

“We basically built out a restaurant in three weeks,” she said. “It’s really crazy, but we got it done.”

There is still some work to do on the outdoor patio and some parts of the dining room, Feliciano said, but with bills to pay, she decided to open the business this week.

Fans can expect the same Lucky Tigre classics that put the restaurant on the map, but the additional space will allow for an expanded menu in the future, Feliciano said, including several breakfast items. She still wants the spot to imbue Filipino American diner vibes.

Plans for another restaurant might also be in the works, but for now, the focus is on getting this new version of Lucky Tigre off the ground, Feliciano said. And she’s happy to still be in the same area.

“I love Old West Tampa because it still feels like old Tampa,” she said. “It feels kind of nostalgic to be in a space where things are changing and a lot of developers are restoring buildings … it just feels nice to keep some of the old stuff.”

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