Columbia Restaurant - Artistic Neon - Ybor City, Tampa, Florida, USA
N 27° 57.613 W 082° 26.101
17R E 358845 N 3093624
The Columbia Restaurant is the oldest & largest Spanish Restaurant in the USA. Opened in 1905 by Casimiro Hernandez Sr. & has been owned & operated since by the next 5 generations of the family. Located in Ybor City, Tampa, Florida.
Waymark Code: WMQ0P5
Location: Florida, United States
Date Posted: 11/24/2015
Views: 2
The Columbia is the oldest & one of the largest Spanish restaurant in the World. It was opened as a cafe for cigarmakers by Casimiro Hernandez, Sr. in 1905 & has remained to this day under the management of the founding family. The entire building is surrounded, by stunning ceramic mosaic artworks, & topped by an artistic Neon sign
The Neon sign has the text 'Since 1905' with white neon loops on each end. vertical art deco style loops, feature on the "Columbia" text also has art deco zig zags.
"TALLAHASSEE - State senators took several moments Wednesday to congratulate Ybor City's Columbia Restaurant on its 100th anniversary.
The landmark restaurant opened in 1905, founded by Cuban immigrant Casimiro Hernandez Sr., and has been owned and operated since by the next four generations of the family. It includes in its claims to fame the distinctions of being the oldest restaurant in Florida and, encompassing an entire city block, the largest Spanish restaurant in the world." Text Source; (
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"The original Columbia Restaurant, located in the historic Ybor City neighborhood in Tampa, Florida, is the oldest continuously operated restaurant in Florida, the oldest Spanish restaurant in the United States and one of the largest Spanish restaurants in the world with 1,700 seats in 15 dining rooms taking up 52,000 ft² over an entire city block. Founded in 1905 in, the landmark is still owned by the Hernandez/Gonzmart family and serves Spanish and Cuban cuisine." Text Source; (
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