The Venue Looks to Reopen as 'The V' and Fill 75 Jobs

Franco Pescante was surprised it closed.

Pescante, an owner of Nocturnal Productions which promoted concerts at The Venue, is looking forward to it reopening soon.

In the past he brought acts including , and to perform there.

“It’s very difficult to place shows in the bay,” Pescante said. “The Venue is actually the perfect size for the shows that I do.”

But with little fanfare the Venue, which opened with much pomp a couple years ago closed in early February.

Phone messages piled up leaving callers no way to leave messages. Then one day:

“The number you have dialed is not permitted.”

According to state records the Venue lost its restaurant permit. Their license from the Department of Business and Professional Regulations lapsed and was listed as delinquent Feb. 1, around the same time it closed.

“Due to minor bumps on the road the Venue well remain closed this Thursday,” a post on their Facebook wall said at the time.

This week changes on the Venue website indicate the facility is reopening as ‘The V’ in the 28,000 square foot space May 4.

Owners are looking to hire 75 full and part time employees including banquet and catering managers, tapas restaurant and sushi servers, bartenders and cocktail servers.

“We are excited for the opportunity to service the Tampa Bay community from such a grand location,” said Daniel Disbro through a post on the Venue’s website. “With over 20 years of hospitality experience we are confident we will be able to anticipate our guests’ needs and exceed their expectations.”

Applications will be accepted from 1 to 4 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m. through Wednesday at 2675 Ulmerton Road.

Pescante hopes he can bring some acts back to the V.

“That was Nocturnal’s favorite venue,” Pescante said. “It is actually a very beautiful venue.”