It all started about 20 years ago. A young cook named Greg Baker was working the line at an upscale French restaurant. One night during a particularly hectic service, as the ticket meter began its mechanical song and the chef barked orders, Greg had an epiphany. He looked at the comis working beside him, peered out at the well-heeled patrons in the dining room, looked down at the freshly tattooed black widow spider on his forearm and said, “Good food is wasted on people who can afford it.”
Motivated by the idea that good food should be made available to everyone, Greg embarked on a mission that would eventually turn Tampa’s dining scene upside down. In 2010, Greg’s vision became a reality when he and his wife, Michelle, opened The Refinery. Founded on the principle that good food is a necessity, not a right, the pair has accomplished exactly what they set out to do—serve elevated food at prices that don’t break the bank.
