On December 18th 2007 Mayor of Tampa Bay Pam Iorio was on hand for the ribbon cutting ceremony of The Hip Hop Soda Shop.
The venue opened with a celebrity red carpet welcoming some of the biggest names in hip-hop and professional sports. Some guests such as Busta Rhymes, Jules Santana, JT Money, Winky Wright, and Dougy Fresh came to celebrate this historic event. Sports Art Illustrated's Justyn Farano was specially invited to attend as the establishment has many of Farano’s works on display and for sale.
