To me, matchbooks are the perfect item to collect. First off, they’re small — unlike my hoard of hoodies — and easy to haul home. You can find cool vintage ones at estate sales and markets and businesses while traveling or at home. And best of all, they tell a story.
Some are marked with the names of beachfront motels and downtown hotels that have been closed for decades. Others bear the name of some of our favorite new Hyde Park haunts.
We asked our readers to share some Tampa Bay restaurants, stores, and hangs that dole out or sell matchbooks — and found a few more in our own research. Take a peek:
- Willa’s
- Bar Taco
- The Columbia Restaurant
- Sacred Pepper
- Pete’s Bagels
- Cheeky’s Fish & Raw Bar
- Tubular Tokes
- Don the Beachcomber
- Dwell Home Market
- Foxy’s Cafe
- Bern’s Steak House
Did we miss any spots? Send them, photos of your collection, or any matchbook-collecting stories our way.
