How are Tampa restaurants snagging Michelin stars when St. Petersburg has none?

TAMPA — For the third year in a row, Tampa restaurants have the chance to snag a coveted Michelin star. On Thursday night, the esteemed guide will award its 2024 picks at a ceremony in Tampa, the culmination of a contract between tourism boards and the international restaurant rankings system that brought Michelin to Florida.

The guide’s recently revamped funding structure favors these kinds of partnerships — Michelin’s expansions are now frequently paid for by hefty investments. The Tampa Bay area is no exception. If you’re wondering why only Tampa restaurants are eligible for stars — and esteemed restaurants in places like St. Petersburg or Dunedin have so far been left out — it’s because only tourism boards in Tampa, Orlando and Miami paid to bring the guide to their cities. It’s a shift from how things used to work, when the guide would rate restaurants in places like New York City and San Francisco on their own dime. The process has received a healthy amount of criticism.

Michelin’s long-standing practice of favoring expensive, elite restaurants over more affordable options has come under scrutiny, too. The type of restaurant they reward with stars is typically tasting menu only, or a fine dining establishment that offers options for elevated multicourse meals.

But the guide’s foray into this state, which began in 2022, has been met locally with enthusiasm from many diners, chefs and tourism leaders. They credit the development for spurring an increased interest in Tampa’s culinary landscape, and hope the partnership can continue.

The Michelin Guide’s foray into Florida began in 2022 and has been met locally with enthusiasm from many diners, chefs and tourism leaders, who credit the development for spurring an increased interest in Tampa’s culinary landscape. [ IVY CEBALLO | Times ]

Since the Florida guide was announced — for which tourism boards in the state shelled out roughly $1.5 million — three Tampa restaurants have received stars. Tampa Heights Italian spot Rocca, Japanese omakase restaurant Koya and Lilac at the Tampa Edition all have one star each. Orlando now has four one-star restaurants, and Miami has 11 one-star spots and one restaurant — L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon — with two-star status.

But how exactly did a French tire company come to be the world’s most recognized rating system? And how has the guide’s presence affected Tampa Bay restaurants? We’ve got all your Michelin questions answered.

What is Michelin and why do we care?

The Michelin Guide is arguably the most well-known and respected authority on restaurants in the world, garnering international recognition for eateries that get stars.

Originally founded by brothers Andre and Edouard Michelin in 1900 in Clermont-Ferrand, France, the guide — from the French tire company of the same name — was designed to help motorists plan their travels. It started issuing stars in 1926 to fine dining restaurants, and by 1936 the star rating system was in place, with three stars being the most a restaurant can earn.

For many chefs, obtaining a three-star ranking is the ultimate dream. Foodie travelers check off starred restaurants like a to-do list, while tourism boards tout the economic impact of having the guide in their city.

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Michelin inspectors dine anonymously and rate the restaurant on certain criteria: quality of the product, mastery of flavor and cooking techniques, how the chef’s personality is showcased in the cuisine, the value for money and consistency between visits.

Originally founded by brothers Andre and Edouard Michelin in 1900 in Clermont-Ferrand, France, the guide — from the French tire company of the same name — was initially designed to help motorists plan their travels.
[ IVY CEBALLO | Times ]

How did Michelin come to Florida?

For many years, the European-centric publication focused on just a few American cities, including New York, San Francisco and Chicago. But in recent years, the guide has expanded — with significant payments from the cities in which it lands.

In 2019, the Michelin Guide issued a California-only guide, for which the state’s tourism bureau paid $600,000. Since then, the guide has broadened to several areas in North America, including Toronto, Vancouver, Colorado and Atlanta, all following significant investments from the local tourism boards.

The guide’s foray into Florida is the result of a paid partnership between the Michelin Guide, the state’s tourism marketing agency Visit Florida and tourism marketing boards in Tampa, Orlando and Miami. It’s unclear why no other Florida cities were included in the initial deal but the guide has since expressed interest in expanding its footprint in the state. At the time, Gwendal Poullennec, the international director of the Michelin Guide, praised Tampa’s culinary landscape as an “impressive, interesting and diverse area.”

Visit Florida said they paid the Michelin Guide $150,000 as part of a one-year content and marketing partnership, which covers production costs and promotion for the guide. After seeing what Visit Florida president and CEO Dana Young called “great” results, the agency renewed the contract for another two years at the same price per year.

“There was certainly an incentive (to renew),” Young said. “It’s 100% positive — everybody is pleased with how it’s worked out.”

Santiago Corrada, president and CEO of Visit Tampa Bay, center, listens to a speaker on stage during The Michelin Guide restaurants star ratings reveal at the Ritz-Carlton Orlando, Grande Lakes in Orlando on June 9, 2022.

[ IVY CEBALLO | Times ]

Local tourism agencies shelled out big, too — around $348,000 each. Though exact details of the partnership were not provided, Visit Tampa Bay paid “in the ballpark” of $116,000 per year for three years — the same amount reportedly pledged by tourism organizations in Orlando and Miami — said Patrick Harrison, Visit Tampa Bay’s chief marketing officer.

But while Tampa is paying for the guide’s presence, no money exchanges hands at restaurants, and chefs are never aware if and when an inspector dines at their establishment.

Poullennec has repeatedly disputed concerns over objectivity, calling the agency’s restaurant inspection process “fiercely independent.”

Santiago Corrada, Visit Tampa Bay’s president and CEO, echoed those sentiments.

“I think there is this perception that it’s pay to play, which is inaccurate. You’re not guaranteed anything,” he said.

In the inaugural edition of the Florida guide, Tampa restaurants were awarded zero stars.

Why aren’t Pinellas County restaurants included?

For the three-year period that the Michelin Guide has been in Florida, no Pinellas County restaurants have been included.

Tampa Bay’s dining landscape has always felt like a cohesive region, and the decision not to include notable eateries in St. Petersburg in particular caused confusion and ire among chefs and restaurant owners when the Florida guide was first announced. Chef David Benstock of St. Petersburg’s celebrated Italian restaurant Il Ritorno was among the chefs who voiced frustration that top spots were being left out.

But restaurants like Il Ritorno never stood a chance: Unlike its counterpart across the bay, Pinellas County tourism marketing agency Visit St. Pete/Clearwater didn’t pay to bring the guide there.

At the time, a spokesperson for Visit St. Pete/Clearwater told the Tampa Bay Times the agency had not been approached by Michelin and had no knowledge of the agreement. Since then, the Michelin Guide has voiced interest in expanding their footprint in Florida, according to Young.

When asked recently whether they would entertain the possibility of a future partnership with the guide, Jason Latimer, the director of public relations for Visit St. Pete/Clearwater, said no conversations with Michelin had taken place.

For many chefs, getting a Michelin star — or multiple stars — is a lifelong dream. At right is the Michelin Man mascot, aka Bibendum or Bib, from the Latin phrase “nunc est bibendum,” meaning “now is the time to drink.”
[ IVY CEBALLO | Times ]

What effect has the guide had on Tampa restaurants?

In addition to stars for Rocca, Koya and Lilac, the guide has awarded several Tampa restaurants Bib Gourmand status, given to “best value for money restaurants” where you can find a three-course meal for a “reasonable” price. Those include Nepalese restaurant Gorkhali Kitchen; Psomi, a Greek restaurant in North Hyde Park; Rooster & The Till in Seminole Heights; and, most recently, the contemporary Mexican restaurant Streetlight Taco.

Two other notable distinctions were announced in 2023: Psomi owner Christina Theofilos received the Michelin Young Chef distinction, and Matthew Braden of Lilac received an award for Outstanding Service. Beyond the biggest accolades, the full guide includes a longer list of restaurants it deems worthy of recommendation. Tampa’s guide has a total of 30 restaurants, including Haven, Bern’s Steak House, Mise en Place, On Swann and The Columbia.

Chef Ferrell Alvarez awaits the star announcements for Florida restaurants during The Michelin Guide reveal in Orlando in 2022. Alvarez and his team did not receive a star that year, but they were bestowed the guide’s Bib Gourmand status.

[ IVY CEBALLO | Times ]

Tampa chefs, restaurant owners and tourism officials said the guide’s presence here has been overwhelmingly positive.

“It’s been very, very good for the industry,” said Corrada. “We’re just seeing a lot of growth, and I think that’s all related to the exposure we’re getting with the guide.”

Snagging a seat at Koya, the Hyde Park omakase restaurant, was never easy, but since receiving a star, the restaurant has been booked solid, said owner Eric Fralick.

People often come to the restaurant specifically because they saw it in the Michelin Guide, he said.

With Tampa’s restaurant scene in the spotlight, more talented chefs and aspiring restaurant owners have moved to the area, which has made hiring talented staff a lot easier than before, said Rocca owner Bryce Bonsack.

Rocca opened with 30 employees and has since ballooned to 80, and what was once a 110-seat dining room now has space for 155, Bonsack said. He said check averages have also increased roughly $15-$20 per person.

This year marks the end of a three-year contract with Michelin in the state. Despite the hefty investment, both Visit Tampa Bay and Visit Florida said they’d welcome extending the contract. [ IVY CEBALLO | Times ]

But sometimes, diners have certain expectations of what a meal at a Michelin-starred restaurant should entail.

“Every single one of the bad reviews on Google and Yelp now mentions the Michelin star,” Bonsack said. “People’s expectations are so high that sometimes it’s hard to fill those.”

And for smaller restaurants, the early days after getting recognition from the guide can be incredibly stressful.

Nepalese restaurant Gorkhali Kitchen had been open just shy of a year when they were bestowed Bib Gourmand status, which was announced at an invite-only ceremony in Miami in 2023.

Owner Rajesh Pathak received an invite to the announcement but disregarded it, thinking it was spam. The throngs of diners that appeared at his restaurant shortly after made it clear the announcement wasn’t a hoax.

“The restaurant was a madhouse that weekend,” Pathak said. “The first week or two, definitely, we were not prepared for it.”

What happens next?

Despite the hefty investment, both Visit Tampa Bay and Visit Florida said they’d welcome extending the contract with Michelin. But those conversations haven’t happened yet.

Harrison, of Visit Tampa Bay, and Young, of Visit Florida, both said they assumed talks about further investments would happen after the April 18 ceremony.

A spokesperson for Michelin would not share details pertaining to contracts, citing privacy concerns for “competitive reasons.” But once the guide for a particular city or region has been published, “the intent is for it to remain there” with continued financial investments, they said.

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