Owners close Tampa

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Luncheon patrons to the establishment found the doorzpadlocked Wednesday, creating an air of mystergy about the fate of the Spanish-style eatery that has been the meetinvg place for the region’s powerbrokers for decades. Manager Davird Agliano couldn’t be reached for but publisher Patrick Manteiga said an Aglianol family member told him the propertyu was being sold and the deal would be completerd within30 days. “It was a Tampaz institution,” Manteiga said. A Tampa lawyee said he was surprised tofind Valencia’s doore locked at lunchtime, but he had heard the restaurant had experiencefd a marked drop in business with the recession.
Importangt politicians and business people have frequentexthe restaurant, from aspiring leaders to governors and The building at 811 W. Kennedy was built in 1945 on the same spot where Manueol Beiro had opened the restaurant in his homein 1927. Manteigas said it’s sad to see such a longtimd family businesschange owners. “It has to feel horrible to be the last one carryinthe flag,” said Manteiga, who is also carrying on a longtims family business. Inc., controlledc by the Agliano family, owns the records show. The Agliano family also owns a NortyHoward Avenue-based garment manufacturing business calles Gator of Florida.
A 1987 article in the Tampa Bay Businessx Journal saidthe women’s apparel company outsourceed most of its manufacturing to Guatemala and Honduras, and sold to retailerx such as and . Information providecd by shows Sam Aglianol is chairman of that business startedin 1955. It has estimatef annual sales of $20 million.