{"id":32338,"date":"2024-07-19T18:44:41","date_gmt":"2024-07-19T22:44:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.slammie.com\/atomicgrog\/blog\/?p=32338"},"modified":"2025-02-09T17:58:47","modified_gmt":"2025-02-09T22:58:47","slug":"photos-video-don-the-beachcomber-launches-morgans-cove-speakeasy-in-tampa","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.slammie.com\/atomicgrog\/blog\/2024\/07\/19\/photos-video-don-the-beachcomber-launches-morgans-cove-speakeasy-in-tampa\/","title":{"rendered":"PHOTOS & VIDEO: Don the Beachcomber launches Morgan’s Cove speakeasy in Tampa"},"content":{"rendered":"

Updated Feb. 9, 2025<\/em><\/p>\n

The revival of the iconic Don the Beachcomber<\/a> brand has entered a new chapter with the opening of the first Gantt Reserve Collection<\/a> bar in downtown Tampa. A sneak preview of the Morgan’s Cove<\/a> speakeasy was held July 13, with the official public opening announced July 18. The hidden door swings open daily at 4 p.m.<\/p>\n

\"Don<\/a><\/p>\n

More below: <\/strong> Speakeasy celebrates Tampa’s pirate past<\/a>
\nLIVE REVIEW:<\/strong><\/FONT> The experience<\/a> | The cocktails<\/a> | The menu<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Don<\/a>
\nNEW:<\/B><\/FONT> Don the Beachcomber brand closes maiden venue, but navigates rough seas with dynamic expansion plans<\/a><\/strong>
\nGet the official scoop from creative director Justin Peterson and beverage director and Marie King, revealed during a presentation at Inuhele in Atlanta with author Tim “Swanky” Glazner.
\n• Full coverage of the past, present, and future of the iconic brand<\/a><\/strong>
\n• Don the Beachcomber won’t reopen in Madeira Beach<\/a>
\n• Rollout of Gantt Reserve Collection bars accelerating<\/a><\/p>\n

Tampa-based 23 Restaurant Services<\/a> launched its first Don the Beachcomber venue<\/a> in February in nearby Madeira Beach, a full-service 250-seat restaurant with South Seas decor and many traditional Tiki flourishes. It’s tucked into the Cambria Hotel, just a few blocks from picturesque Gulf of Mexico beaches in tourist-friendly southwest Florida.
\n* Previous coverage: Don the Beachcomber grand opening in Florida is a smashing success<\/a><\/p>\n

Another large restaurant – considered to be the brand’s flagship – is in the works for Hamlin, near Disney World<\/a> in Central Florida. This ambitious, ground-up buildout is not expected to be finished until next summer. Other restaurant locations are planned, but in an effort to expand the brand in a quicker (and less costly) manner, 23 Restaurant Services announced a creative new “brand within a brand” concept in April.
\n* Previous coverage: Don the Beachcomber announces new bar concept, three upcoming locations in Florida<\/a><\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>
The revival of the Don the Beachcomber restaurant concept was kicked off in Madeira Beach in February 2024 by 23 Restaurant Services. (Official photos)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Gantt Reserve Collection bars<\/a> will be much smaller, concentrating on elevated cocktails and immersive decor. The themes will vary based on location, but all will try to maintain the high standards established by Donn Beach (born Ernest Raymond Gantt)<\/a>, when he created the world’s first Tiki bar as a speakeasy in 1932.<\/p>\n

Indeed, it didn’t take long to get Morgan’s Cove up and running in just three months after the announcement. There are many reasons for this, which we’ll detail below. The next Gantt Reserve Collection bar won’t be open until early 2025.<\/p>\n

Marc Brown, president of 23 Restaurant Services,<\/a> says he hopes to open the yet-to-be-named speakeasy-style bar in February in a space adjacent to the company’s Ford’s Garage restaurant<\/a> in Plantation, west of Fort Lauderdale. There will also be a speakeasy located inside the Hamlin restaurant, a tribute to Donn Beach’s original Dagger Bar.
\n* Previous coverage: Upcoming South Florida location uncovered<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Marc<\/a>
Marc Brown (left), the 23 Restaurant Services president, welcomes designer Daniel “Tiki Diablo” Gallardo to the sneak preview party on July 13. Gallardo and his team created a spectacularly immersive space. (Photos by Hurricane Hayward)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

We were privileged to attend a sneak preview of the Tampa bar on July 13. Mahalo to Brown and his team for the exquisite hospitality. Following is a comprehensive recap. <\/a><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Speakeasy celebrates Tampa’s pirate past <\/h2>\n

To simply call Morgan’s Cove a speakeasy concept with a nautical theme would be paying a disservice its spectacular execution of modern design and mixology. It would also understate its importance to the future of the Don the Beachcomber brand.<\/p>\n

Based on what was on display during the preview party, the team behind this highly immersive watering hole has delivered admirably on the Gantt Reserve goals. “We believe that if Donn could have lived another 100 years, he would have continued to push the boundaries of the craft cocktail genre, creating unique and experiential bars and restaurants,” the website states<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"Morgan's<\/a>
Morgan’s Cove was packed for the preview party on July 13. (Photo by Hurricane Hayward)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Recognizing the diversity and eclectic tastes of the modern bar-going public, the restaurant group wisely created a concept that will feature a distinctive design and menu at each location. While the Don the Beachcomber restaurants will follow a familiar Polynesian Pop template, that will not be the case with the Gantt Reserve Collection.<\/p>\n

Tampa’s history and the location of the inaugural speakeasy both informed its theme. The bar is at 210 N. Morgan St. in a city that since 1904 has celebrated its swashbuckling past with the Gasparilla Pirate Festival<\/a>, attended annually in January by some 300,000 enthusiastic revelers.<\/p>\n

The fest celebrates the city’s most infamous buccaneer, Jos\u00e9 Gaspar (aka Jose Gasparilla), who plundered nearby seas until a fateful day in 1821. Confronted by a U.S. Navy ship in disguise, Gasparilla reportedly tied himself to an anchor chain and jumped into the sea, never to be seen again.<\/p>\n

Morgan’s Cove honors not only its address and city, but the centuries of pirate lore from the 1650s to the 1850s that includes the infamous Henry Morgan. Commissioned (and later knighted) by the king of England, Morgan seized Spanish ships and invaded Spanish colonies throughout the Caribbean. (Note that the street is named not for the pirate, but for Brig. Gen. Daniel Morgan, a Revolutionary War hero.)<\/p>\n

\"The
The Yeoman’s British pub, owned and operated by 23 Restaurant Services, stands at the corner of North Morgan Street and East Washington Street in downtown Tampa. The entrance to Morgan’s Cove is straight ahead through an unmarked door on the left. (Photos by Hurricane Hayward \/ July 13, 2024)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

It’s therefore appropriate that this modern-day den of iniquity is located in a space adjacent to the Yeoman\u2019s British pub<\/a>, which stands like a sprawling colonial settlement at 202 N. Morgan St. Conveniently, the 23 Restaurant Services headquarters are in the same building, presumably strategically located to quell any uprisings between plunderers and privateers.<\/p>\n

In reality, it was relatively quiet and everyone was quite friendly when we visited for the July 13 preview and dined at the restaurant, proper name Yeoman\u2019s Top Golf Swing Suite. We noticed that the computerized POS system already featured both brand logos on its main screen, one of many efficiencies that the location offers.<\/p>\n

The Yeoman\u2019s kitchen provides the small bites on the Morgan’s Cove menu. And while there is no apparent interior connection for guests, it would be easy to pop back and forth between the two via their main Morgan Street doors. A robust meal is encouraged before you enjoy the many potent cocktails created by the 23 Restaurant Services director of beverage, Marie King<\/a>, and her team.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>
The unmarked entrance to Morgan’s Cove. Guests are told to look for the red light and wooden door. Once inside, seek out the shelf containing old bottles on the right. (Photos by Hurricane Hayward \/ July 13, 2024)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

But first, you’ll need to find the Morgan’s Cove entrance. In true speakeasy style, there are no posted signs or a street number. The website provides one simple clue:<\/a> “Look for the wooden door and red light.” <\/a><\/p>\n

That’s where the magic begins, thanks to Southern California designer Daniel “Tiki Diablo” Gallardo<\/a> and his crew of artists.<\/p>\n

The experience: An immersive den of mythical creatures <\/h3>\n

Upon entering the framed wooden door at 210 N. Morgan St., you encounter a nondescript hallway lined with weathered paneling. The nautical rope adorning one wall is the only clue of what lies ahead.<\/p>\n

<\/a>
The entrance to Morgan’s Cove is hidden behind a shelf containing vintage bottles. (Photos by Hurricane Hayward \/ July 13, 2024)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Further down the winding hallway are the restrooms, far removed from the bar and the only major criticism we have of the entire space. The lack of theming inside is jarring after spending several hours in the bar. Based on the location, we assume that the facilities are shared with some of the back-of-house Yeoman’s staff, but we sincerely hope that the loo can be enhanced with at least some rudimentary nautical theming.<\/p>\n

It’s hard to find fault with anything else, beginning with the clever “hidden entrance.” No more than 15 feet from the streetside portal, we were greeted by a staff member who began to show off a dusty collection of booze housed on shelves in a small alcove on the right.<\/p>\n

Among the tattered bottles are obscure labels such as Old Quaker, along with more recent brands including Barcardi and Skipper. He pointed out a handle protruding from a middle shelf and encouraged us to turn it.<\/p>\n

Give it a hearty pull and the shelf becomes a door, magically granting you access into an old-time saloon that pays homage to mythical sea creatures. We posted a video of the entry experience shortly after arriving on July 13. Watch below, or directly on Instagram<\/a> and Facebook.<\/a><\/p>\n

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A post shared by Jim Hayward (@theatomicgrog)<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n