KAPOK TREE INN RESTAURANT

The Kapok Tree Restaurant is a legendary historic memory. 

Florida natives and tourists old enough to have been around the Tampa Bay area for a while will remember the dining room shown in the postcards below.

Kapok Tree, Clearwater

Just after the Civil War, a local resident planted a kapok tree from India on his property near the western shore of Tampa bay in Clearwater.

Kapok Tree Inn, Clearwater

People came from miles around over the years just to look at this tree.

The 200-seat Kapok Tree Inn opened on the property in 1958 and immediately became a hit with locals and tourists alike.

Kapok Tree Inn, Clearwater

It offered fried chicken, broiled steak and baked ham served in a setting of fabulous antiques and tropical palms with the backdrop of the famous kapok tree and its offspring.

Kapok Tree Inn Menu

The food was great, but even if it had been mediocre the dining ambiance and experience would still have been worth the visit.

Kapok Tree Inn Statues

By the 1960's the New York Times and Holiday magazine named the owner of the Kapok Tree, Richard B. Baumgardner, as one of the top ten restaurant operators in the world.

Kapok Tree Inn Dining Room

At its peak, the Kapok Tree had 12 dining rooms.

The restaurant was so popular they went public in the 1970's and opened several other Kapok Tree Inns in Florida and Maryland.

Kapok Tree Inn Fountain

The whole operation began to founder, however, and finally the last one - the original in Clearwater - closed its doors in 1991.

Gallery Dining Room, Kapok Tree Inn

Those of us who loved the place miss it a lot.

You can still see some of the remaining fountains and landscaping at the the original site at 923 McMullen Booth Rd, Clearwater, FL 33759.

The Sam Ash store that used to be at this site is no longer there but people interested in visiting the remains of the historic Kapok Tree Restaurant can still explore parts of the property that have been preserved.

While the Sam Ash store itself is no longer operational, the site retains elements of its storied past that visitors can experience.

Kapok Tree Columns w Fountains

The most accessible remnants are tied to the Kapok Special Events Center & Gardens, which is located on the same property and maintains much of the original restaurant's elaborate landscaping and architectural features.

The gardens feature Italian fountains, Roman and Greek-style statues, and tropical plants—hallmarks of the Kapok Tree Inn’s extravagant design.

Hemingway Home Postcard

The iconic kapok tree itself, planted in the 1880s and the namesake of the restaurant, still stands in the front yard of the property and can be viewed from the roadside or parking area.

The Kapok Special Events Center is typically open to the public for tours when no private events are scheduled. It’s recommended to call ahead at 727-725-8733 to confirm availability.

Normal hours are generally Tuesday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., but these can vary depending on events.