Nagi by Soho Sushi Opens in Downtown Tampa

The 180-seat Japanese restaurant and whiskey lounge replaces Gen X Tavern at 103 E. Jackson St.

Updated on Nov. 2, 2026 in Dining Out

Warm, empty dining room with a polished wood sushi counter under pendant lamps and a backlit shelf of amber bottles. — Burton Holdings opened Nagi by Soho Sushi on Monday, Nov. 2, in the former Gen X Tavern space at 103 E. Jackson St. in downtown Tampa. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Would you visit a new upscale sushi and whiskey lounge downtown?

Burton Holdings opened Nagi by Soho Sushi on Monday, Nov. 2, in the former Gen X Tavern space in downtown Tampa. The 180-seat Japanese restaurant and whiskey lounge occupies the location at 103 E. Jackson St. after Gen X Tavern closed July 4.

Why it matters

The opening converts a long-running downtown bar space into an upscale Japanese dining concept, reflecting the owner's decision to replace the bar with a more upscale format. For Tampa diners, it adds a tableside sushi and whiskey option to the downtown restaurant mix.

The restaurant seats 180 and occupies the former Gen X Tavern space at 103 E. Jackson St., which operated for seven years before closing July 4. Nagi plans to stay open until 1 a.m. Thursdays through Saturdays.

The players

Burton Holdings

Burton Holdings is the Tampa restaurant company that acquired Soho Sushi in 2022 and also operated Gen X Tavern.

Dave Burton

Dave Burton is the managing partner of Burton Holdings, which ran Gen X Tavern before its closure.

Soho Sushi

Soho Sushi is a Tampa sushi restaurant that began in 2005 on South Howard Avenue and later moved to Kennedy Boulevard.

The details

Nagi offers tableside sushi prepared by sushi chefs, a Japanese whiskey lounge, and small plates including wagyu dishes and pork belly fried rice. The concept hosted friends-and-family and reservation-only previews from Oct. 19 through Nov. 1 before its official opening.

2005: Soho Sushi began on South Howard Avenue with 10 tables and a seven-seat sushi bar.
2008: Soho Sushi relocated to Kennedy Boulevard.
2022: Burton Holdings acquired Soho Sushi.
July 4: Gen X Tavern closed after seven years downtown.
Nov. 2: Nagi by Soho Sushi opened in downtown Tampa.

Market Landscape

The Nagi opening replaces a seven-year downtown bar with an upscale sushi and whiskey concept, following the pattern of Tampa's central business district bars being repositioned as dining destinations. It also extends Burton Holdings' footprint from its earlier Soho Sushi locations into a late-night downtown format.

Downtown diners now have a 180-seat option offering tableside sushi and a whiskey lounge, open until 1 a.m. Thursdays through Saturdays. Reservations were available during the preview period before the official opening.

The takeaway

Diners planning a downtown Tampa night out can check Nagi's late-night hours, which run until 1 a.m. Thursdays through Saturdays, when choosing where to go.