If you’re from the Tampa Bay area, the name “Ciccio” is very familiar. Everyone in the 813rd knows the Ciccio Restaurant Group runs all of SOHO. Their newest concept “Luv Child” opens in a couple weeks. This is the first restaurant in the group fully-centered around CRG Executive Chef/Partner Luis Flores and his favorite cuisine, Cuban.

Last time I spoke to Managing Partner David Pullman was for concept Taco Dirty just over a year ago. He gave me all the details about Luv Child:

“Luv Child, located at 516 S. Howard Ave., is the newest concept to come out of the Ciccio Restaurant Group (CRG) family, and it makes a debut next Thursday, October 31.

“We have a lot invested in South Howard and we wanted to revamp the area too. We thought it was important to stay ahead of everything and open new concepts, bring new vibes,” CRG Managing Partner David Pullman tells CL about the 180-seat, 5,000 square-foot space that’s set to open in the former home of The Lodge. “We’ve had a great run with a lot of the local spots.”

Luv Child is the first Ciccio concept completely centered around CRG Executive Chef and Partner Luis Flores, who emigrated to the United States almost 40 years ago before beginning his culinary career as a dishwasher. He joined CRG in 1990 as a sous chef at the original NYC Ciccio and Tony’s restaurants.

“Luis was integral in creating several of our other concepts including Forbici, Taco Dirty, and Green Lemon,” says Pullman. Like Flores, Pullman plays an essential part in the growth of CRG. He’s been in charge of opening a few of their concepts including vegan sweet hotspot Sweet Soul and Fresh Kitchen’s Boca Raton location.

The whole vibe at Luv Child is ‘70s Miami. The décor features a bold, floral print wallpaper and several chandeliers. The menu is 100% Cuban, Luis’ favorite cuisine. Guests can expect menu items ranging from fried cauliflower bites with a Cuban Sriracha sauce to a shredded aji verde chicken sandwich (yes, Cuban sandwiches are also on the menu).”

Find out more about Luv Child when you read the rest of the article here. Follow Luv Child here and here too.