The resurrection of Goody Goody in Hyde Park Village has proven so popular that restaurateur Richard Gonzmart is already planning an expansion.

Goody Goody, an iconic Tampa burger joint that Gonzmart bought the rights to in 2014, opened in Hyde Park on Aug. 23.

While a deal is yet to be finalized, Goody Goody is planning to lease an additional 392 square feet between the restaurant and CineBistro, Michael Kilgore, a spokesman for Columbia Restaurant Group confirmed Wednesday.

The new space won’t mean any additional seats, Kilgore said. Instead, it will expand the restrooms and kitchen area. Goody Goody has 140 total seats in about 3,380 square feet. During prime meal times, the restaurant still has hour-plus wait times.

“It’s really all about making the experience even better,” Kilgore said. “The bathrooms will be the most visible change. Everything else be behind the scenes.”

Kilgore said he expects the lease to be finalized with WS Development, which owns Hyde Park Village, in the coming weeks — after Gonzmart returns from Sicily, where he is seeking inspiration and ideas for his newest concept, Casa Santo Stefano, a Sicilian restaurant in a historic Ybor City storefront.

Construction on the Goody Goody expansion could begin within a month, Kilgore said.

Parkland Builders, which did the buildout of Goody Goody, will also handle the expansion.

“Richard is the most optimistic man in the room,” Kilgore said, “and the number of guests and the volume we’re doing and the response we’ve gotten is even greater than he had hoped.”

Ashley Gurbal Kritzer

Senior Reporter

Tampa Bay Business Journal