Chef Marc Murphy’s new Mediterranean-inspired restaurant in Seminole Hard Rock Tampa, scheduled to open in November, will be named Grey Salt.

The partnership with the renowned New York City-based chef was recently announced. The 250-seat restaurant will feature dishes like grilled gulf shrimp spiedini with charred lemon + scallion and spicy lamb + tzatziki grilled flatbread.

“I grew up throughout Europe – predominantly in Southern France and Italy where grey salt is a staple,” said Murphy. “When I was thinking about the menu for this restaurant, I decided to incorporate the finishing salt into some of my dishes to serve as a reflection of my childhood and when it came to think of a name, I realized that the words – Grey Salt – felt very much like what I wanted the restaurant to feel like – tranquil, soothing and calm. It’s hard to explain, but it just felt right and the more we all thought about it, the more it clicked.”

Here’s what you should know about Chef Marc Murphy
Ask Chef Marc Murphy where he grew up and he’ll fire off a list of cosmopolitan destinations — Milan, Paris, Washington DC, and Rome. For some, growing up the son of a globetrotting diplomat might have been stressful, yet for Murphy, this dizzying list of hometowns served as an excellent education in French and Italian cuisine, and afforded him the luxury of learning from a young age just how much he loved the world of cooking and of restaurants. Since then, Murphy has logged more than 20 years in the restaurant business, working in some of the world’s most highly esteemed kitchens, including Le Miraville in Paris, and Le Cirque in New York. He was also the Executive Chef at Cellar in the Sky at Windows on the World in the World Trade Center, La Fourchette and Chinoiserie.

In March 2004, Murphy opened his first solo enterprise with Landmarc [Tribeca], which won rave reviews both for its eclectic French and Italian menu as well as its highly untraditional wine list. Following its success, Murphy opened Ditch Plains in the West Village in 2006 serving casual, beach-style cuisine such as lobster rolls, fish tacos and the infamous ditch dog as well as other comfort food favorites. In 2007, Murphy was given the opportunity to open another Landmarc restaurant in the prestigious Time Warner Center where he brought his bistro-style cuisine midtown. In October 2013, Murphy opened Kingside at the Viceroy New York hotel on New York’s iconic West 57th streets serving his interpretation of New American cuisine. Murphy’s restaurants now fall under the Benchmarc Restaurants by Marc Murphy name, where he acts as Executive Chef and Owner. In addition to the restaurants, Murphy also heads up the company’s catering division, Benchmarc Events by Marc Murphy, where his signature style of accessible contemporary cuisine transcends the boundaries of what is offered in his restaurant locations.

Today, Murphy’s involvement in the industry moves beyond the restaurants as well, with a regular role as a judge on The Food Network’s highest rated hit show, CHOPPED as well as appearances on IRON CHEF AMERICA, GUYS’S GROCERY GAMES, BEAT BOBBY FLAY, WORST COOKS IN AMERICA, UNIQUE EATS, THE BEST THING I EVER ATE, THE BEST THING I EVER MADE, THE RACHAEL RAY SHOW and THE TODAY SHOW among others. He is the President of the Manhattan chapter of the New York State Restaurant Association, a board member of City Harvest, Culintro and Passport NYC at the 92nd Street Y Culinary Camp, as well as a member of the Food + Finance High School’s Industry Advisory Board, a member of the Leadership Council for Share our Strength’s No Kid Hungry campaign and the national spokesperson for Share Our Strength’s Dine Out For No Kid Hungry. In 2012, Marc joined the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Culinary Partnership, where he takes part in public diplomacy programs that engage foreign audiences abroad as well as those visiting the United States. Marc’s debut cookbook, Season with Authority: Confident Home Cooking was released in April 2015.