Ty Rodriguez, co-owner of the award-winning Rooster & the Till, is opening Peppermint Lounge in Tampa Heights this fall — a vinyl bar and live music room named for a legendary 1960s New York City club. The concept, announced via the operator's Instagram, marks Rodriguez's entry into the city's late-night and live music market, adjacent to the neighborhood dining scene he helped establish.
Rooster & the Till has been among the more recognized addresses in Tampa Heights, earning the "award-winning" designation the operator's Instagram applies to it. With Peppermint Lounge, Rodriguez moves into different territory — a room built around sound and atmosphere rather than a kitchen. Per the operator's Instagram, the concept draws its name and character directly from the original New York City club, which the post identifies as a legendary fixture of early-1960s American nightlife.
The operational design is deliberate. Each evening opens with what the post calls a "curated LP playlist" running before the room even opens — a pre-doors ritual that frames the atmosphere before a guest walks in. Live music follows, alongside themed nights built around specific venues from American music history, including CBGBs and Muscle Shoals Studio. The cocktail program, per the same source, is built around substance over spectacle — a framing that implies a menu focused on execution rather than presentation.
The space, as described in the Instagram post, features large-format portraits by Jim Marshall, whom the post identifies as a legendary photographer. A covered outdoor patio extends the footprint, finished in exposed brick and polished concrete — materials that suggest a build-out aimed at permanence rather than the finish-flexible interiors common to short-lease concepts.
Rodriguez's stated intent, per the operator's account, is a room that pulls guests into the present. The Instagram post makes the point explicitly, noting that guests are encouraged to put their phones down and stay in the moment — a posture that runs against the grain of how most new Tampa hospitality concepts build early word-of-mouth. The post describes the project as Rodriguez's "love letter to Tampa," framed around soul, real connections, and honest hospitality.
Peppermint Lounge is planned for fall 2026, per the operator's Instagram announcement. A specific street address within Tampa Heights has not been confirmed in the available sourcing. With Rooster & the Till already anchoring the neighborhood's dining identity, Rodriguez's expansion into live music nightlife would position Tampa Heights to hold a full evening — from dinner service through last call. Whether a deliberately low-tech, record-forward room finds its footing in the market will be clear by year's end.
