Hanami, a modern Japanese izakaya concept, is set to land on downtown Clearwater's Cleveland Street, according to company filings and a landlord announcement. The spot is planning a lineup of sushi, ramen and yakitori built around a street-facing, social dining setup and will take over a storefront on the 600 block. The address sits near the Pinellas Trail gateway and diagonally across from a newly announced entertainment complex that developers say will feature a record-size movie screen. Hanami is joining the action as Cleveland Street races through a wave of restorations and fresh openings that are quickly reshaping downtown’s after-dark scene.
Official filings and landlord announcement
The Cleveland Street Alliance confirmed the Hanami project in a May 12 press release, describing it as a “modern Japanese gathering” geared toward shared plates and late-night energy. The planned restaurant has also been covered by the Tampa Bay Business Journal. State business records back up the move: Florida Division of Corporations filings show HANAMI IZAKAYA LLC was created in January 2026 and list 635 Cleveland Street as the principal address, according to the Florida Division of Corporations.
Next to a megascreen
Hanami will sit diagonally across from the planned EVO Family Entertainment Center, a privately funded, roughly $50 million, 83,000-square-foot complex that developers have promoted as home to what they say will be the world’s largest cinema screen. Attractions Magazine and other local coverage trace the project to EVO Entertainment and describe plans for a seven-screen multiplex anchored by a marquee, oversized auditorium, alongside bowling, laser tag and interactive attractions. The complex is being marketed as a gateway that is expected to boost evening foot traffic for bars and restaurants along Cleveland Street.
Where the downtown push stands
Across the 600 block, demolition and construction are already underway as part of a coordinated redevelopment push aimed at reactivating long-quiet storefronts and restoring historic buildings. Local reporting and project pages have detailed the blockwide work and the developer coordination intended to stitch together a continuous retail and dining corridor. Coverage from public radio and neighborhood outlets has followed both the demolition and the broader strategy to connect the entertainment anchor with streetscape upgrades and new tenants, including Hanami. WUSF previously reported on the entertainment project.
How Hanami fits the market
Hanami’s izakaya setup, built around skewers, shareable plates and quick bowls, is expected to add a more casual, social Japanese option to the Tampa Bay dining landscape, slotting in alongside the region’s higher-end omakase and sushi counters rather than competing with them. The continued rise of Japanese concepts in the area has been highlighted in coverage of Florida’s Michelin selections and related food reporting. Bon Appétit and other outlets have noted the shift toward a wider mix of Japanese formats across Tampa Bay.
Timeline and next steps
So far, no firm opening date has been announced for Hanami. The Cleveland Street Alliance has positioned the restaurant as part of an active, phased overhaul of the block that will move forward as tenant buildouts and restorations come together. Developers have not released a construction schedule for the EVO anchor or its neighboring spaces, and local reporting points out that permits, parking details and design approvals still need to be resolved before any grand openings. A formal timeline has not yet been made public.
