New Mexican restaurant set to spice up Seminole Heights

Seminole Heights is getting a new spot for handmade tortillas and modern Mexican flavor as Con Amor prepares to open its doors.

A new Mexican restaurant is getting ready to open in Seminole Heights, and it’s bringing a fresh twist on Mexican food to one of Tampa’s most popular neighborhoods.

Con Amor, an upscale Mexican restaurant led by Chef Taylor Dillon and his wife, Kayla Chang, will open soon on the ground floor of Avenue Lofts. The space will feature roll-up doors, an indoor-outdoor design and a full tequila bar.

“It’s something the neighborhood really needs,” Burdette said. “We don’t have anything like this nearby. It’s going to add energy and give people another reason to stay local.”

Con Amor logo featuring corn and wheat imagery with the tagline “Nixtamalization & Taqueria.”
Con Amor’s logo highlights its focus on traditional nixtamalization and modern Mexican flavors. Courtesy of Instagram.

About Con Amor

According to its website and social media, Con Amor describes itself as a “modern Mexican restaurant” centered on nixtamalization — the traditional process of preparing corn for masa and tortillas.

The restaurant’s Instagram lists the address as 5240 N Florida Ave and notes it is “coming soon.” Posts highlight handmade tortillas, shareable dishes and vibrant presentation that preview what Burdette described as an “upscale yet relaxed” addition to the neighborhood.

The husband and wife behind the concept described the restaurant as a long-time dream inspired by travel and traditional nixtamalization techniques on Instagram.

Before opening their first brick-and-mortar space, they introduced Con Amor through local pop-ups, including the Tacos & Tequila Festival at Vinoy Park in St. Petersburg, giving guests a preview of the dishes and presentation they’ll bring to Seminole Heights.

Chef Taylor Dillon and Kayla Chang of Con Amor hold an “Opening Soon” banner outside Avenue Lofts in Seminole Heights and stand at their pop-up booth at a local Tampa festival.
Chef Taylor Dillon and Kayla Chang, the husband-and-wife team behind Con Amor, prepare to open their first restaurant in Seminole Heights. Courtesy of Instagram.

New tenant at Avenue Lofts

Burdette owns Avenue Lofts, which has 52 apartments and two restaurant spaces. He confirmed that Con Amor will be a tenant, not a project he operates. The restaurant will offer elevated Mexican dishes in a relaxed setting.

“It’s a place where people can hang out, have a margarita and enjoy great food,” he said. “It’s casual but still elevated.”

Con Amor will take over a ground-floor space that has seen several restaurant concepts come and go in recent years. Previous tenants leased the space but never gained traction, leaving it vacant until now.

What’s next

The restaurant is expected to open in November 2025. Burdette believes it will fit in well with Seminole Heights’ growing dining scene, which has become known for creative, locally owned restaurants.

“I think it’s going to do really well,” he said. “It’s the kind of place that makes people want to live and spend time here.”

The opening comes as other well-known regional brands expand into the area, including The Salty Donut, DI Coffee Bar and Bamboozle, each adding to Seminole Heights’ mix of local favorites.

A focus on neighborhood design

Burdette also owns Warehouse Lofts in Tampa Heights and is known for creating unique, design-driven projects that add character to established neighborhoods.

“Everything I build is about creating something special,” he said. “I want projects that stand out and make people feel connected to where they live.”

With Con Amor opening soon, Avenue Lofts is set to add another locally owned restaurant to Seminole Heights, one that combines good food, good design and a sense of community.

For more information about Con Amor, visit their website or follow them on Instagram.

Stay Connected

Sign up for TBBW’s newsletter

Follow TBBW on social media

Read more TBBW stories

You May Also Like
New Chicken Salad Chick opening in Parrish on Dec. 16

Chicken Salad Chick opens in Parrish on Dec. 16 with giveaways and continued growth across Manatee County.

Read More
Three containers of Chicken Salad Chick’s signature chicken salad flavors arranged on a kitchen counter with crackers.
Tampa hotels launch Plates with Purpose to fight food insecurity

Mainsail hotels are turning every entrée sold into meals for families facing holiday food insecurity.

Read More
Exterior view of the Epicurean Hotel at sunset, showing the multi-story building with illuminated windows, brick and stucco design, street traffic light trails and a Bern’s Steak House valet parking sign in the foreground.
Which Tampa restaurant made OpenTable’s Top 100 list?

Bern’s Steak House is the only Tampa restaurant to earn a place on OpenTable’s Top 100 list for 2025.

Read More
A plated steak dinner at Bern’s Steak House with French fried onions, vegetables, a baked potato and a glass of red wine.
Fresh Kitchen announces biggest menu changes in 11 Years

Fresh Kitchen confirms its largest menu shift since 2014 with a full move to 100% seed oil-free cooking and a new rosemary chicken.

Read More
Fresh Kitchen restaurant exterior with FK logo sign behind cactus plants
Other Posts
Port Tampa Bay adds 2 new cranes from Ireland as Vision 2030 expands

Port Tampa Bay is adding two new cranes built in Ireland to support its Vision 2030 terminal expansion.

Read More
A container ship loaded with stacked refrigerated containers is berthed under green Liebherr ship-to-shore cranes at a modern cargo terminal.
Holiday scams are surging. Here’s how to stay safe this season

The holiday season is here. It’s a time for celebrations, gift giving and year-end deadlines. While you’re juggling office events and covering for colleagues on long vacations, fraudsters are busy

Read More
A smartphone screen displaying a phishing warning with a fishing hook above an SMS alert icon, symbolizing text-message scam attempts.
Darryl Shaw sells 2 Ybor properties for $7.45M near Gasworx

Two Ybor properties sold for $7.45M as investor interest accelerates near Gasworx.

Read More
Three views of Ybor City development: the Pete’s Bagels building on 4th Avenue, a historic mixed-use building on 6th Avenue, and the nearby Gasworx construction site linking Ybor to downtown Tampa.
37,000 surcharge-free ATMs will be available nationwide after rollout

More than 2,500 new Speedway ATMs will expand the surcharge-free Co-op ATM Network to over 37,000 locations nationwide.

Read More
Speedway gas station canopy and fuel pumps at a retail location.