Downtown Tampa’s Florida Aquarium has added a new attraction that does not swim: Café Seventy One, an on-site café built around conservation-minded menus and low-waste operations. The name is a nod to the 71 percent of the planet covered by water, and the space is set up so that the aquarium’s conservation mission shows up not just in the exhibits, but in what visitors order and how it gets from the kitchen to the table. As reported by Tampa Bay 28.
Chef Omar Serrano of the aquarium’s food partner SSA Group and Executive Chef Matt Beaudin helped craft both the menu and the sustainability playbook, with a focus on traceable seafood and locally sourced ingredients. Early offerings range from family-friendly burgers and bowls to specialty seafood dishes the café says meet its responsible-sourcing standards, giving guests a range of choices that line up with the aquarium’s environmental priorities.
Low-waste service built into the layout
The café’s setup leans heavily on design and tech to cut waste while keeping lines moving. Guests can use ordering kiosks or mobile ordering, then grab food from secure pickup lockers, which are part of an OSCAR sorting system that encourages visitors to recycle properly. Behind the scenes, Café Seventy One has dropped single-use plastic bottles in favor of reusable serviceware and uses linen-less tables to trim water and detergent use in daily operations. These operational features are detailed in a vendor announcement from Cinchio.
Local sourcing and ocean-friendly labels
SSA Group operates the café, and the program leans on local and traceable suppliers, with industry coverage highlighting partners such as Open Blue and Sun Shrimp alongside neighborhood breweries. The operation has been certified as an Ocean Friendly Restaurant and is recognized by Monterey Bay Seafood Watch, signaling that its seafood choices are designed to align with established conservation guidelines. These sourcing and certification details are outlined in an industry overview by Blooloop.
Community impact beyond the café
The sustainability focus comes with measurable community ripple effects. Café Seventy One’s programs have diverted roughly 180,000 straws a year from the waste stream and, through donations and catering, have provided more than 28,000 meals to local partners. Leaders at the aquarium and SSA describe the model as something that can be replicated by other museums, zoos and aquariums looking to shrink the environmental footprint of their hospitality operations. As reported by Tampa Bay 28.
Café Seventy One is open during The Florida Aquarium’s regular operating hours, giving visitors the option to eat on-site while they explore. Guests can check hours, buy tickets and plan a visit on the aquarium’s website. The café is located at the aquarium’s Channelside campus at 701 Channelside Drive in Tampa. For details, see The Florida Aquarium.
