Tampa's NoHo Bistro changes restaurant ownership: A bittersweet departure

Jessica Raia Long The fledgling food scene in West Tampa just wiggled a bit. Founder Jessica Raia-Long sold her financial interests in The Noho Bistro in North Howard’s district to her chef partner Tina Hurliss and former server/sommelier Tomàs Carrasquillo, now General Manager.

Jessica opened the bistro in June 2001 as a personal chef and caterer and then grew into a storefront in May 2004 on North Howard Avenue, hence The NoHo Bistro. A short time later, Jessica invited Tina Hurless in as a chef partner.

They’ve weathered the recession together quite bravely and her departure doesn’t reflect financial struggle. In a phone interview with Jessica, she revealed, “Despite the recession, we were still meeting goal numbers… we were always growing.” Her decision to sell her interests revolved around personal issues. She has two children, Zach, 7, and Gabriel, 4, and longs to spend more time with them. The tireless hours got the best of her: “At the end of the day, the people who are going to count on me are my family. I wasn’t being any good to either the restaurant or the family spreading myself thin… and it was heartbreaking to hear on a Sunday, ‘Oh mommy, you’re going to work again?’”

But she’s not transitioning to stay-at-home mom, stating, “Stay at home moms have the hardest jobs out there but I’m not wired that way.” She plans on taking some time off first and then get more involved in cooking and nutritional education for children. Inspired by Food network chef Jamie Oliver’s childhood obesity initiatives and after hosting the summer cooking camps at the NoHo Bistro, she sees opportunity there. “[Cooking] uses science, math and art, and five and six years old should know what vegetables look like when they’re fresh… and if they’re taught at a young age, I can create habits that will last until they’re 25 and beyond.”

But to fresh in the cooking game, Jessica will also be doing small, in-home dinners for people on a catering basis.

When asked if she’s worried about passing on her third child, she laughed (in a bittersweet sort of way), saying, “I trust them… Tomàs is rooted here and with his enthusiasm for new management and marketing techniques, he’ll bring a whole new perspective… and Tina deserves more stability, a co-owner that is able to give more.”

Tina says, “it has been a pleasure to work with Jessica as we built The NoHo Bistro, and I wish her all the best… I’m excited about this new chapter in the restaurant’s history. While we know our guests will miss seeing Jessica, we’re dedicated to maintaining the high standards of service and quality food that our guests expect, and they should feel confident that very little will change about The NoHo experience and menu.” Tina and Tomàs will be launching a new fall menu soon, maintaining The Noho Bistro’s tradition of using fresh, local ingredients from, among others, Urban Oasis Farms, a local hydroponic farm.