La Septima Cafe is a family affair. Pictured is the Fernandez family.

La Septima Cafe is a family-owned and operated restaurant that has been in the Brandon area for 30 years. La Septima Cafe was opened in 1995 by owners Ronnie and Dahlia Fernandez, with its original location being on N. Parsons Avenue. After 16 years at that location, it moved to its current location in La Viva Plaza, off of W. Lumsden Road. Ronnie and Dahlia’s children, RJ and Jennifer, have been actively involved in the restaurant as well over the years.

When La Septima opened, the Fernandezes planned to incorporate Ybor’s charm, as their grandparents had originally immigrated to Ybor. La Septima’s decor became that of old Ybor City. It still has that old Ybor City feel 30 years later, with La Septima’s motto written on its sign as “a taste of Old Ybor.”

Dahlia said of opening La Septima Cafe 30 years ago, “On February 9, 1995, La Septima Cafe was born. What a scary day. We were no strangers to the restaurant business, having years of experience with delis, breakfast/lunch/dinner spots, but this was all new. … Our son, RJ, and daughter, Jennifer, then 17 and 24, were hired immediately to do whatever had to be done. It was a family business, after all. We had a minimal staff, limited menu and a lot of heart and ambition. Our family (me, my husband, our son and daughter) are very much hands-on still, but our general manager, Virginia Griffin, is our mainstay. She is the center of the operation, and we are grateful to her for her hard work, loyalty and compassion.”

Catering is available at La Septima Cafe. Pictured is baked chicken, black beans, rice and tossed salad.

To celebrate 30 years in business, La Septima will be featuring its mojo-marinated roast pork, rice and black beans as a special all day on Monday, February 10.

Dahlia also stated, “We truly love our community and their tremendous support through thick and thin, and the changes to the way we do business. We strive to keep our prices affordable and our service excellent.”

La Septima Cafe is open Monday through Saturday, 11 a.m.-8 p.m. It is located at 702 W. Lumsden Rd. in Brandon. To find out specials or information for catering, call 813-685-0502, visit its Facebook page at ‘LaSeptimaCafe’ or go to its website at https://laseptimacafe.com/.

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Ashley Abene
Ashley Abene
Ashley Abene has written for the Osprey Observer since 2023. She has a master’s degree in writing and literature and a bachelor’s degree in professional writing from the University of South Florida. She has taught college-level writing and literature at USF and Southeastern University for over nine years. She’s a blogger at Peace Filled Family and enjoys writing children’s books. She’s also a mom to three kids, and her husband has been serving in the military for over 20 years.