Adela Hernandez Gonzmart (1920–2001) was born two blocks from the Columbia Restaurant. After graduating from the Juilliard School of Music, she toured the United States and Cuba as a concert pianist. After her marriage to violinist Cesar Gonzmart, she performed with such entertainers as Liberace, Ernesto Lecuona, and Amparo Hurb. She was instrumental in forming the Tampa Symphony Orchestra and in her lifetime received countless honors from organizations in the Tampa community.

Ferdie Pacheco (1927–2017), who as a teenager worked in the Columbia Restaurant as a waiter, served as Muhammad Ali's personal physician and was the author of many books, including Ybor City Chronicles, Pacheco's Art of Ybor City and Tales from the 5th Street Gym: Ali, the Dundees, and Miami's Golden Age of Boxing.