Video stories reported and produced by Daniel Finton and Courtney Patterson. Anchoring by Hannah Halili. Web editing by Dominique Ball and Hanalyse Loboda.
Open-air restaurant TNT Burger was shut down for five months due to COVID-19, but the business’s reopening has people scrambling to try their bombastic dishes.
Sergio Rueda and his partner, Carolina Martinez, opened TNT Burger last year before the pandemic caused many businesses, especially restaurants, to shut down due to social distancing guidelines. With their return, the partners want to give their guests a unique experience with their food.
“We don’t have boring burgers, that’s the point that we are different from the other places,” said Rueda.
Another key to the pair’s success is the business’s large presence on social media with over 27,000 followers on its Instagram page. TNT Burger uses its audience to spread the word about its insane burgers and new additions to its menu.
“…We like to take pictures and videos of our customers. When they bite the burgers, we like to record their feelings. What do they feel when they got the first bite. Like when they fell in love with the burger, you know, love at first bite. We like to record that part,” said Martinez.
Rueda and Martinez moved to Tampa from Colombia to establish their restaurant. The pair stand out from other burger joints with their elaborate and creative ideas for burgers, including the COVID-19 Vaccine Burger and the Cheesy Beast.
“We wanted to create something very, like 100% different from the others. That’s why you see like, different burgers, here with syringes, with melted cheese on top, like all kinds of burgers,” said Martinez.
“You know what, TNT burger is like an amazing project, we have the best food, we want to, to give the best flavors from our country. We are Colombians, and we want to say, we, we don’t have boring burgers, boring food,” said Rueda.
Rueda and Martinez take inspiration from their families and native Colombia when creating their dishes.
“…One of my best memories is when I was cooking with my grandma and my momma. And I lived in one of the best cities in the burger industry in Colombia. So if you go to my place…you will find the best burgers places in old Colombia,” said Martinez.
The eatery is at 7206 N. Dale Mabry Highway. It is also open Thursday through Sunday from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m.
To learn more about the delicious burgers the restaurant serves, visit their pages on Facebook and Instagram.
