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Seminole Heights Nebraska Mini Mart serves up burgers in old-school style

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Posted at 7:50 AM, Jun 20, 2022
and last updated 2022-06-20 07:50:38-04

SEMINOLE HEIGHTS, Fla. — Their first Seminole Heights restaurant is Michelin awarded, but two local co-owners also have a more casual walk-up burger joint flipping up some of the best burgers in the Tampa Bay.

Believe it or not, the Nebraska Mini Mart has been on the corner of Nebraska and East Louisiana avenues since the 1950s.

Three years ago, Rooster & The Till owners, Ferrell Alvarez and Ty Rodriguez re-opened the location as an outdoor family-friendly restaurant while keeping the old-school mini-mart style.

The same way you’d get milk or beer back in the day is how you can walk up and get your burgers today.

Seminole heights does a really good job of wanting to keep things sort of natural, and a little bit dirty, and fun and interesting. We’re progressing things forward, but at the same time, we’re keeping some of the history there. I think most of the time people enjoy that,” said Rodriguez explained.

However, he added that they didn't start out as a burger joint. They opened serving sandwiches, salads, and more, but during the pandemic, they made a shift to whipping up burgers and it's been a success ever since.

The mini-mart is on one and a half acres for family fun with games like shuffleboard and ping pong, and it’s dog-friendly too.

The location is now open Thursday through Sunday.