New Restaurants in Midtown Tallahassee and Beyond: Fall 2026

"Izzy has permanently closed. Thanks for 10 great years!"

That is the whole message on a white sheet of paper taped to the door of Izzy Pub & Sushi in Midtown, written in red letters. The Japanese gastropub next door to Midtown Reader opened in 2017. Owner Viet Vu once told the Tallahassee Democrat that customers described it as having "that big city sushi feel without the big city prices." The Democrat reported the closing in a story updated September 18, 2026.

A closing like that usually starts the familiar autumn story about which places shut down and which chains replaced them. This fall's openings follow a different pattern. Every notable restaurant announced for Tallahassee between late spring and early October 2026 comes from people who already run a kitchen in town. The new places are second locations, sister concepts and spin-offs. The local operators are growing, and they are taking over spaces other businesses have left.

One Block of Thomasville Road, Moving Both Ways

A short walk from Izzy's door, the Manor at Midtown plaza at 1122 Thomasville Road is getting ready for From Jane. This European-style bakery was expected to open in early October in the former Sliders: A Sandwich Revolution space, directly across the street from Dear Sunday Cafe.

The same five partners own both businesses: Aysia Sylvia, Tiffany Little, Courtney Atkins, Jackie Cook and Lelia Wolfe. The name is meant to pair with the cafe across the street. If "Dear Sunday" opens a letter, "From Jane" signs it. Little described the two as "the two ends of a letter, two different ways to spend your mornings," according to Tallahassee Foodies. Jane also happens to be the middle name of one of the owners' grandmothers.

The partners didn't start the bakery from scratch. They already bake for other businesses around town, and the storefront is a way to sell those products directly.

"We currently produce breads, pastries, and desserts for several local businesses but opening a storefront allows us to bring the products we already create, directly to our customers," co-owner Tiffany Little said.

The announced menu includes artisan breads, croissants, morning buns, éclairs, tarts, custom cakes, grab-and-go sandwiches and seasonal items. Planned drinks include matcha, cold brew and champagne, and the shop will also sell fresh flowers, so you can leave with a baguette for dinner and a bouquet for a birthday. The owners are running Dear Sunday and From Jane as separate concepts. Dear Sunday was designed for slow mornings and lingering with friends.

As of October 4, we have not seen a confirmed opening day or posted hours. The bakery's Instagram account is the most likely place for the first-day announcement.

Across Town, It's the Same Story

From Jane isn't the only one. Each of the other announced openings has the same kind of background.

Metro Deli in Southwood. Rob Bazemore's second location will serve the same breakfast and lunch menu as the original. The planned schedule is weekdays from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., with breakfast until 10:30 a.m. and lunch until 3 p.m. These hours were announced before opening, so check them before you drive over. The mid-September target has passed, and we have not found a confirmed first day.

Rustic Grub at The Hub. The Rice brothers are working with The Hub's owners on a casual lunch-and-dinner restaurant, which they describe as separate from Backwoods Crossing and Trident. The August announcement aimed for September without a firm date. There are two later signs of progress. A restaurant-inspection record shows Rustic Grub at The Hub was inspected on September 23, 2026, and holds an active license. The Hub's events calendar also lists Rustic Grub as the food for its October 7 event, which runs from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Neither one confirms that the restaurant is open to the public, but October 7 is a reasonable day to look for it.

Lafayette on East Lafayette Street. Chef Hervé, who already runs Little Paris in the Market District, announced a French-style dinner restaurant with a full bar and brunches with live music for the former Lucilla space. In May, he said he hoped to open "within the next 3–4 weeks," pending final approval of a liquor license. A June 30 article still described Lafayette as something to look forward to. We have not found a newer timeline since then. This is the one on the list where the posted estimate is furthest out of date.

In every case, the owners have already shown they can make a Tallahassee restaurant work. A bakery that supplies other kitchens, a deli with a following, two chefs with a pair of restaurants and a chef with a Market District bistro are each opening a second place.

Closings Have a Different Profile

The places closing this fall are of a different kind. Izzy had been open close to a decade. Both remaining Bojangles locations in Tallahassee, on Park Avenue and North Monroe, were reported permanently closed by September 29, 2026. That left Valdosta, Georgia, as the nearest location. A national chain leaving the city completely is a different event from an independent owner deciding to open a second shop.

The buildings don't stay empty, and local operators often move in. Authentic Gyros & Grill took over a former Bojangles site on West Tennessee Street in August. From Jane is moving into Sliders' old space, and Lafayette is going into Lucilla's. In Midtown, the former Taco Republik, a Vu brothers concept that operated for more than a decade, is now El Rey's Tacos & Beer.

Some of these closings are temporary. 1876 Bar & Grille, at the hotel on Capital Circle Northeast, closed while the hotel changes brands and the restaurant updates its menu. A Google listing showed it as permanently closed, but a marketing executive with the Edgewater Group told the Democrat it plans to reopen at the start of 2027. That ties back to Izzy as well. Viet Vu's most recent job was food and beverage manager at 1876.

Vu shows how this works over time. He was born in Tallahassee and has more than 30 years in hospitality. He founded RendezVu Hospitality Group and serves as its executive chef, and he has introduced many concepts with his brother and business partner, Nam Vu. Those include the MoBi food truck, the former Arepana Latin Grill and Taco Republik. Restaurants close and the people who ran them open the next one, which is the same thing the Dear Sunday partners, Bazemore, the Rice brothers and Chef Hervé are doing this fall.

No new tenant has been announced for the Izzy space next to Midtown Reader.

Dates to Watch This Fall

1. Early October: From Jane's target opening at 1122 Thomasville Road. Watch its Instagram for the first day.
2. October 7, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.: The Hub at Feather Oaks event with Rustic Grub listed as the food.
3. Any week now: Metro Deli's Southwood opening, which is past its mid-September target.
4. Unconfirmed: Lafayette on East Lafayette Street, where no timeline has been posted since early summer.
5. Start of 2027: The planned reopening of 1876 Bar & Grille after the hotel's rebrand.

Neighborhood restaurant spaces turn over more often than most people notice, and a sushi bar can become a bakery across the street in a single season. At The Burkett Team, we pay the same close attention to blocks across North Florida and the Forgotten Coast. If you're curious how that day-to-day activity shows up in what your home is worth, start with a free home valuation.