Naked Farmer moves to Tampa, upgrades St. Pete flagship

The founder of Naked Farmer said his farm-to-table restaurant chain is “better today because we opened our first location in St. Pete.” However, downtown Tampa provides a more centralized location for the homegrown brand’s corporate team. 

CEO Jordan Johnson signed a five-year lease to relocate Naked Farmer’s headquarters to Thousand & One, a 20-story office tower at Water Street Tampa. Real estate developer Strategic Property Partners announced the move Monday. 

Johnson noted the St. Petersburg restaurant also closed Monday for a $1.5 million renovation project. He said the flagship location is the first to receive the updated look “because it was our first store,” and the milestones symbolize the company’s growth. 

“St. Pete has really been a place where we’ve been able to align our concepts behind an audience that’s helped shape Naked Farmer since day one,” Johnson told the Catalyst. “It really forced us to become the best version of ourselves.”

Jordan Johnson, founder and CEO of Naked Farmer.

Naked Farmer opened its first store at the 200 Central office building in May 2020, during the height of the pandemic. It will reopen in December, and Johnson compared the company’s unlikely growth to a phoenix – the fictional bird associated with regeneration and resilience. 

The fast-casual chain will move into its new 2,000-square-foot speculative suite at the luxurious Thousand & One tower Oct. 1. Naked Farmer already operates a restaurant from the ground floor.

Johnson plans to scale the brand from 10 to 15 locations over the next 18 months. He said the highly amenitized, “restorative professional environment that cultivates productivity” at Thousand & One will foster Naked Farmer’s continued growth and accommodate new hires.

Johnson and most of the company’s leadership live near downtown Tampa. The team is currently “kind of split” between an office in St. Petersburg and the Industrious building at Water Street.

“The opportunity to put our office above one of our restaurants is a really special thing,” Johnson said. “We also have more locations over here in Tampa. So, we’re a little more central to our stores … with what we have now and what’s to come in the future.” 

He also credited Thousand & One’s sustainability. The tower is North America’s first WELL-certified office building, which recognizes features that improve human health and well-being, and Johnson said Naked Farmer is “investing in a workspace that aligns with our mission to build a better food system.” 

He committed to growing the restaurant in St. Petersburg and Tampa “before it was cool.” Naked Farmer’s first location across the bay was a repurposed shipping container at Sparkman Wharf. 

The Thousand & One office tower (center). Photo: Strategic Property Partners.

The Water Street restaurant helped fuel the company’s expansion to South Florida. Johnson now eagerly anticipates expanding Naked Farmer’s space in St. Petersburg to “meet the additional capacity needs.” 

“That store has really battled bottleneck issues,” he added. “It’s got a ton of demand. It’s gotten very busy over the past few years, and this is going to allow us to serve more guests.” 

Johnson noted the flagship’s design will mirror plans for future locations. He credited “a lot of support from the St. Pete community” for Naked Farmer blossoming into one of the few pandemic-era culinary success stories. 

“There will be nothing in that store that stays through the renovation,” Johnson said. “We’re taking down every tile, every piece of ductwork. Every piece of kitchen equipment and everything is going to be brand new.

“It’s going to be quite an upgrade from what people have become used to there. I’m really excited for it – I’m sure you can tell.” 

Johnson chose St. Petersburg for Naked Farmer’s first location because he thought it was a “rising culinary hotspot.” That was before an influx of young professionals and construction cranes. 

His decision was not without detractors. However, Johnson believed the “very foodie-forward city” and its “discerning guests” would appreciate the restaurant’s seasonal menu and locally-sourced ingredients from partners like Brick Street Farms. 

“The St. Pete community doesn’t settle for mediocre food,” Johnson said. “Food is a really big deal in St. Pete.”