Cru Hospitality Group is adding two purpose-built concepts to Sparkman Wharf, the open-air waterfront market anchoring the southern edge of Water Street Tampa. Smith's Provisions and The Back Bar are both planned to open in March 2026, per the operator's Instagram, bringing a quick-service burger counter and a craft cocktail-and-wine program to one of Tampa's more consistently trafficked waterfront venues.
The Tampa-based group designed both concepts specifically for the Sparkman Wharf environment rather than adapting existing formats. Smith's Provisions takes its cues from roadside burger joints — an open-air counter with craft burgers and handhelds as the primary program, built for the walk-up, no-reservations pacing that Sparkman's stall-and-shed layout demands. The Back Bar operates next door, pairing craft cocktails with a wine list, oriented toward the extended waterfront sessions that drive the Wharf's evening traffic. The two concepts share a footprint and a customer base without competing directly.
CEO Kyle King framed the site-specific intent directly in the announcement: "From the menu to the bar program to the pace of service, both concepts are meant to feel like they have always belonged here."
Cru's existing Tampa portfolio includes Wine on Water, Small Giant, Bouzy, and Cru Cellars — four concepts spread across the city in different formats and neighborhoods. The group has operated consistently in the wine-and-cocktail lane and built a presence as one of the more active independent hospitality operators in the market. Smith's Provisions marks a departure from that lane: the group's first straight quick-service format, with a price point and throughput model distinct from its other operations. The Back Bar, cocktail-forward with a wine component, fits closer to Cru's established identity.
Sparkman Wharf opened in November 2019 as part of the initial Water Street Tampa buildout, occupying a stretch of former port land along the Garrison Channel south of Channelside Drive. The complex runs on a container-and-shed format with fixed vendor bays, shared outdoor seating, and water-facing orientation — designed for volume and accessibility rather than destination dining. Its tenant mix has leaned local and independent since opening. The format's structural constraints — no enclosed dining room, high foot-traffic variability, full weather exposure — reward operators who design a concept around the site rather than adapting a full-service format to an open-air box.
Cru's choice to build Smith's and The Back Bar from scratch for Sparkman is consistent with how operators have found footing in that environment. Both concepts will operate on Sparkman Wharf's standard hours, per the announcement, integrating into the venue's existing daily programming rather than running independent schedules.
The additions bring Cru's active Tampa concepts to six and deepen the group's presence in the Water Street corridor as that development continues to attract operators. Smith's Provisions and The Back Bar are expected to open in March 2026 at Sparkman Wharf, Water Street Tampa.
