TAMPA, Fla. — They do things differently at Streetlight Taco.

It’s all in the little details.

What You Need To Know

  • Streetlight Taco in South Tampa opened earlier this year

  • One of the managing partners, Nick Reader, is a former Jesuit High football player

  • Reader draws upon his football glory days often in his daily life as a restaurateur

You might say, this restaurant is run like a football team. And that makes sense, considering one of its managing partners is Nick Reader. The former Jesuit High football player was raised on the sport and the life lessons he learned on the gridiron spills over into his restaurant business.

“Every day before service, we have a game plan,” Reader said. “And then when the guests come in, that playbook is thrown out. It’s like when you call, they always script the first series of plays and then it’s completely you’re going on the fly. I think that restaurants are that same energy, that same excitement.”

Reader starred on Jesuit’s 1992 state runner-up team. He was one of the offensive linemen that helped make the Tigers one of the great offensive teams in the state. He played for legendary Coach Dominick Ciao, who came up short in the 1992 title game, but won a state championship with Berkeley Prep last season.

“I think anyone that played for Coach Ciao, and you know this well, he changed their life for the better,” he said. “He provided a path of believing in you and making you feel like you were special.”

Reader’s dad chronicled all of his high school memories in a scrapbook. It contains newspaper articles and photos and game plans. His glory days preserved forever. And there are times he draws upon them often in his current line of work.

“Just lessons that you learn in that locker room,” he said. “Things that kind of defined you as a young man that turns you into a man.”

After stints as an accountant and then working with the Tampa Bay Bucs, Reader started the Tastes Pretty Good restaurant group. Two of its brands, Rocca and Streetlight Taco, have been recognized by the Michelin Group, a prestigious honor for restaurants, kind of like winning a state championship.

“It’s just been fun being native to Tampa, watching our city do really, really well,” Reader said. “There’s so many great restaurants now. So many people doing amazing stuff that we’re just proud to be part of it.”