Beloved burger joint El Cap has sold to local owners who will preserve its legacy
/El Cap, known for its delicious hamburgers, has served St. Pete at 3500 4th Street North for nearly 60 years
It’s never easy to say goodbye. Especially when something has been around for generations. In the last few years, St. Pete has had to let go of some of its oldest institutions.
COVID-19 claimed two of the Sunshine City's most precious gems — St. Pete’s oldest family-operated restaurant, Coney Island Grill, and Florida's largest and oldest independent bookstore, Haslam's Book Store.
Just in the past month, Munch’s Restaurant and Sundries was shuttered after 70 years in business and Wilson’s Sports Lounge was demolished after a 50-year run on 4th Street.
Additionally, Kissin’ Cuzzins is under contract to be sold. Its fate is unknown.
Last week, another St. Pete establishment, El Cap, was sold – or at least 50% of it. However, unlike the shuttered institutions of the past few years, El Cap will continue to live on for years to come at 3500 4th Street North.
Stepping foot inside El Cap is like going back in time. The wood-paneled walls are adorned with a motley mix of sports posters, photos, newspaper clippings, awards, and memorabilia | Google
The new owners are Seed & Feed Hospitality, a group owned by St. Pete natives Ryan Griffin, Bill Griffin, and Blake Thompson that also own a handful of other local concepts such as Trophy Fish, The Mandarin Hide, Mandarin Heights, and the newly announced restaurant Perry’s Porch at the St. Petersburg Museum of History.
Seed & Feed Hospitality will join co-owner Cindy Nally, a 20-year employee and owner of El Cap, who will remain as the other 50% owner.
“We are born and raised in St. Pete and have all been coming to El Cap for over 40 years,” said Ryan Griffin. “We see El Cap as a St. Pete institution and want to play our role in ensuring that it continues to thrive for decades to come,” added Blake Thompson.
“I am so excited to partner with Ryan and his team and believe our partnership will help El Cap soar to heights no one could have ever imagined,” said Cindy Nally.
Owners of Seed & Feed Hospitality Blake Thompson (Left), Bill Griffin, and Ryan Griffin (Right) | Seed & Feed Hospitality
Joining Seed & Feed Hospitality in its mission to preserve El Cap are Brian Auld and Matt Silverman, executives of the Tampa Bay Rays and Tampa Bay Rowdies.
“With El Cap’s roots being deeply connected to baseball and local sports, it seemed like a perfect partnership,” said Bill Griffin. “We are honored to be a part of this iconic restaurant,” added Brian Auld.
Also, involved in the group is consumer justice lawyer Augie Ribeiro, who not only shares his love for baseball and El Cap with the group but also his family’s namesake with Augie Donatelli, a family member of the original owner of El Cap and an important reason for El Cap coming into existence.
“It is exciting to be connected to such a historic place,” says Augie Ribeiro.
W.G. Spoor, also a St. Pete native, who has been the long-time accountant for El Cap, following in the footsteps of his father, Gordon Spoor, who was the accountant for El Cap since the 1970s, will round out the ownership group.
El Cap is famous for their award-winning “World CHamp” Cheeseburger | Google
Touching on El Cap’s robust ownership group, “Well, we were not really looking for partners,” laughed Blake Thompson. “However, every time we mentioned that we were purchasing El Cap to someone, they wanted to get involved in any way they could. And that speaks volumes about the love for El Cap within our community. We have put together a great team.”
With new owners at the helm, will El Cap change decades-old recipes, and remove menu items?
“Absolutely not,” says Ryan Griffin. “We have every intention of partnering with Cindy Nally and keeping El Cap operating as it has been for decades. In addition, we look to provide more efficiencies for the business and staff, which will enhance and better the customer experience. We have decades of experience in the hospitality industry, in-house marketing, strong operations teams, etc. to bring to the table to strengthen the brand of El Cap and make it the best in town.”
Once Griffin’s team helps implement these improvements, he looks forward to having a night in 2023 for locals to come together and celebrate El Cap’s 60 years in operations and toast to its future.
A regular sight at El Cap, A waitress serving a tray of “world champ” burgers piled high with toppings
El Cap has been a staple in St. Pete for nearly 60 years. This family-owned, no-frills restaurant is the go-to spot when you want to enjoy the best burger in town while watching the big game.
Stepping foot inside El Cap is like going back in time. The wood-paneled walls are adorned with a motley mix of sports posters, photos, newspaper clippings, awards, and memorabilia.
The menu features the infamous “World Champ” hamburger dressed with lettuce, tomato, onion, and pickle, as well as the Grand Slam Ham & Cheese Sandwich, and the Triple-play Bacon, Lettuce, and Tomato Sandwich.
And if there is a sports game on, you better believe El Cap’s TVs will be tuned to it.
The exact origins are a little murky, but in 1963, Pennsylvania natives Steve and Rose Bonfili traded in The 'Burgh (Pittsburgh) for The Burg after Steve’s half-brother, Augie Donatelli, who was living in St. Pete at the time and working as an umpire for Major League Baseball, notified them about a certain business opportunity – “a nice place where a lot of baseball people go.”
The El Cap sign can be spotted Looking south down Fourth Street NOrth from 38th Avenue North in St. Pete in March 1974 | Tampa Bay Times Archive
Steve and Rose ran the restaurant for 17 years before handing the keys to their son, Frank Bonfili, in 1980.
Frank proudly operated El Cap with his wife, Mary Jean Bonfili, until his death in 1997.
In 2001, Mary Jean hired Tara Mattiacci and Cindy Nally as waitresses. Over the years, both Mattiacci and Nally worked their way up to manager and when Mary Jean passed away in 2019, she left El Cap to the duo.
Now, after 20 years of service, Tara has decided to retire.
The owners sought out Ryan Griffin’s group knowing they were St. Pete natives and cared deeply about the City of St. Pete. “It was a privilege to receive the call and rise to the occasion. We thank Tara for her many years of dedicated service, ownership, and efforts to be a steward of a true community asset like El Cap,” said Ryan Griffin.
Mary Jean Bonfili (Left), who owned El Cap for 40 years, passed the restaurant down to Tara Mattiacci (right) and Cindy Nally (not pictured) upon her death in 2019
In addition to being a local restauranteur and lawyer at Johnson Pope, Ryan Griffin has held numerous civic positions such as Chair of the St. Petersburg Area Chamber of Commerce, Chair of the Grow Smarter Strategy, the City’s equitable economic development strategy, and is currently the President-elect of the St. Petersburg Bar Association.
“Our goal is to further elevate El Cap’s reputation to the point where if someone mentions that they just visited St. Pete, they will immediately be asked, ‘Did you have an El Cap burger?’” says Blake Thompson.
St. Pete’s meteoric growth over the past decade sits on a foundation built by businesses like El Cap. These old establishments have really stood the test of time and in some respects, have been untouched by time.
“We love what St. Pete has become over the years and all the new people who’ve moved here. We want those new people to be able to experience some of the great places, those legendary institutions, that we’ve had here for generations that are the fabric of St. Pete,” said Ryan Griffin. “Our mission is to preserve El Cap for the next generation of St. Pete residents and visitors.”
