Restaurants Near Tropicana Field: Dinner at COPA on Central Ave
COPA is at 1047 Central Ave in St. Pete's EDGE District. We're an Afro-Latin Caribbean restaurant, cocktail bar and lounge, opened in November 2019 by brothers Maxim and Sebastien Thuriere. If your night ends at Tropicana Field, dinner on Central is an easy way to start it.
Before the game: early dinner
Dinner service starts at 5pm Tuesday through Saturday and at 3pm on Sunday. If you're eating before a game or a show, the early tables are the ones to book.
The Main Bar is first come, first served, and it can't be reserved, so come early if you want a seat there.
For coffee, breakfast or lunch before a day game, see our sister café next door, which has its own menus and hours.
After the game: late dinner, cocktails and live music
The kitchen serves dinner until 10:30pm Tuesday through Thursday and until 11pm on Friday and Saturday. COPA stays open past that. We close at 11pm on Tuesday, midnight on Wednesday and Thursday, and 1am on Friday and Saturday.
Select Friday and Saturday nights bring rotating DJs and live entertainment from 8pm. It isn't every weekend. Check the events calendar before you plan the night around it.
Afro-Latin Caribbean tapas and craft cocktails, for a date night or a group
Max and Sebastien built COPA around their Haitian and French Caribbean roots, mixed with the flavors of Latin America. The dinner menu runs from tapas to entrées. Order conch fritters, COPA tostones and tacos barbacoa for the table, go for the steak frites if you want a full plate, and finish with golden churros.
The bar pours craft cocktails like Sangria43, our white sangria, plus wine, beer and spirits. With a full dinner menu and a real cocktail list, COPA is an easy pick for a date before a concert or a group that wants a sit-down dinner before the game.
Some dishes are rotating nightly specials, so check the full dinner and cocktail menus for what's on.
Which nights COPA is open around games and events
We're closed on Mondays. That includes Monday game nights and Monday events at the stadium, so plan your COPA night for another day.
Weeknights have their own themes: Taco Tuesdays, Wine Wednesdays, and Sangria & Sounds on Thursdays. The current specials are on our homepage.
Sundays run shorter, and dinner ends at 8pm. Sunday is also Latin Jazz, in two sessions. The 3pm session opens its doors at 2:45 and ends at 4:30, and the 5pm session opens at 4:45 and ends at 6:30. Advance reservations are strongly encouraged, and you book on the jazz page. Walk-ins are welcome, pending availability, and groups larger than 8 can't be seated during live jazz.
Hours can change. Check the live hours on our homepage before you head out.
Parking for dinner and the game
Free 2-hour street parking is available on most corridors around COPA, and you'll usually find spots along Central Ave, Baum Ave and 11th St N.
Two hours goes fast once you add dessert. After 5pm, Baum Avenue, directly behind COPA, has free extended parking. If street parking is tight, The Central Garage at 1388 1st Ave N is covered, charges hourly and daily rates, and is open 24/7.
Tropicana Lot 6 at 1 Tropicana Dr is a ParkMobile lot on our parking list, but it's not available on Rays game days. Full details are on our parking page.
Reservations and walk-ins on busy nights
We take reservations Tuesday through Saturday from 5pm, in the Main Dining Room and on the Outdoor Patio. On a game or event night, that's the surest way to get a table.
- Party size limits: up to 10 guests Tuesday through Thursday, up to 8 on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
- Parties of more than 6 get an automatic 20% gratuity.
- Standard reservations aren't taken on Sundays. Sunday Jazz tables are reserved through the jazz page.
- The Main Bar is first come, first served.
Walk-ins are welcome, pending availability, and a large part of the restaurant and bar is kept for walk-in guests. If reservations look fully booked online, the reservations page has the number to call for walk-in or waitlist availability.
Group outings and private rooms before a game or concert
Once your group is bigger than our party limits, a private room is the better fit. COPA has two private rooms. Each room holds about 60 people standing. Book both for a full buyout of about 120.
We handle the catering in-house and put together custom bar packages, and we can add a private DJ or live entertainment. There's no rental fee. The room runs on a food and beverage minimum spend, set by the date, time, length of the event, group size and anything special you need, and your guests' orders count toward it.
That setup works for a company outing before a game, a social mixer before a concert, a birthday or a holiday party. Company outings also have their own corporate events page.
Send a few details through the private events page and we'll follow up with a tailored quote. Dates fill up, so book 3 to 4 weeks ahead.
Concerts and other nights at the Trop
A concert or any other event at Tropicana Field works the same way as a game night. Check the open nights and parking above, then look at our events calendar to see whether there's a DJ or a band at COPA that night.
Questions about eating near Tropicana Field
Where can I park for dinner near the Trop on a Rays game day?
Tropicana Lot 6 isn't available on Rays game days, so plan around street parking or a garage. Free 2-hour street parking is available on most corridors around COPA. After 5pm, Baum Avenue directly behind COPA has free extended parking. The Central Garage at 1388 1st Ave N is open 24/7 with hourly and daily rates.
Is COPA open for dinner or drinks after a night game?
Tuesday through Saturday we're open late. Dinner runs until 10:30pm Tuesday through Thursday and 11pm Friday and Saturday. COPA stays open until 11pm Tuesday, midnight Wednesday and Thursday, and 1am Friday and Saturday. We're closed Mondays, and on Sundays dinner ends at 8pm.
Can I reserve a table at COPA before a game?
Yes, Tuesday through Saturday from 5pm, in the Main Dining Room or on the Outdoor Patio. Parties are capped at 10 Tuesday through Thursday and 8 Friday through Sunday. The Main Bar is first come, first served, and walk-ins are welcome, pending availability.
Is COPA open on Mondays?
No. COPA is closed every Monday, including Mondays with a game or event at Tropicana Field.
Can COPA host a group or company outing before a game or concert?
Yes. COPA has two private rooms. Each holds about 60 people standing, and booking both gives you a full buyout of about 120. There's no rental fee, just a food and beverage minimum spend. Send an inquiry through the private events page and we'll follow up with a tailored quote. Book 3 to 4 weeks ahead.