Chef-Driven Mexican Dining Concept Coming to Tampa

TAMPA, FL — Con Amor, a modern Mexican restaurant from Chef Taylor Dillon and Kayla Dillon, is preparing to open at 5240 N Florida Ave, Tampa, FL 33603.

The team is hosting friends-and-family soft openings this week, followed by a quiet opening in late January or early February, with a larger grand opening planned for Feb. 6, after Gasparilla, Dillon told Business Debut.

What to Expect

Con Amor is best described as modern Mexican with an upscale-casual approach. “I like to call it upscale casual,” Dillon told Business Debut. “I like my food to be at that level but I like the experience to be fun and accessible for everyone.”

The kitchen is built around fresh masa made entirely in house through nixtamalization, which Dillon described as the foundation of the menu. The restaurant will seat about 120 guests and include a front patio, along with access to a parking garage behind the building, with the first and second floors available to guests until 12 a.m. daily.

Menu and Vision

Dillon said tacos at Con Amor are designed individually, with each one featuring its own ingredients. “Every one of them has their own special ingredients,” he told Business Debut.

The menu leans heavily Mexican, with select dishes incorporating French and Italian techniques. One example is “mastacini,” a masa-based take on arancini made with pork belly-stuffed risotto that is fried until crisp. Another dish, chochollotes, uses masa dumplings prepared similarly to gnocchi, pan-seared and served with braised duck and its cooking liquid.

Dillon also highlighted tetelas as a standout. The dish features stuffed masa filled with Oaxacan cheese, grilled on a plancha, and topped with deshebrada, a traditional Mexican brisket preparation. “The grilled masa is a flavor that is just out of this world,” he told Business Debut.

Ownership and Team

Con Amor is Dillon’s first personally owned restaurant. He is joined in the kitchen by longtime friend and fellow Louisiana native Collin Hatfield, who cooked alongside Dillon in New Orleans and is coming on as a key member of the opening team.

Kayla Dillon will oversee front-of-house operations, payroll, scheduling, administrative systems, and the bar program. “I’m kind of offering all the front of house, payroll support, admin support,” she told Business Debut. “I built the bar menu and I’m Taylor’s number one fan.”

Community Focus

Kayla Dillon also emphasized that Con Amor’s masa production extends beyond the restaurant itself. “We sell our masa to a few restaurants in Tampa,” she told Business Debut. “We believe so strongly in our product that it’s not something we need to keep close to us. We want to share it so all the Mexican restaurants in Tampa can have that same elevated product.”

Opening Timeline

Soft openings are underway this week. A quiet public opening is planned in late January or early February, followed by a grand opening on Feb. 6.

Hours

• Tuesday through Sunday, 3 p.m. - 9 p.m.
• Friday and Saturday, 3 p.m. - 10 p.m.

Follow for More

Visit their website and Instagram.

Are you a restaurant vendor? Join our referral network and reach more interested prospects.