Baba and Barbouni to close in Grand Central District, making way for Barra Barra and Kaixo

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Baba and Barbouni to close in Grand Central District, making way for Barra Barra and Kaixo

After seven years, Baba and Barbouni are preparing to close, but the future of the Grand Central District property will remain in familiar hands.

Owners George and Debbie Sayegh announced Thursday that longtime team members Andrew Duncan and Danielle McCoy will take over the restaurant space at 2701 Central Avenue with two new concepts: Barra Barra and Kaixo.

The pair have spent the past year working alongside the Sayeghs developing the concepts, which will replace Baba and Barbouni following their final service on July 3rd.

“For Debbie and I, one of the greatest privileges of Baba has been watching talented people grow within these walls,” George Sayegh wrote in a social media post announcing the transition.

“And for the past year we've been working closely with two of those people, Chef Andrew Duncan and Sommelier Danielle McCoy, to develop a new restaurant that reflects their creativity, energy, and vision,” he added.

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Former Times building, historic Tramor property in downtown St. Pete sold for $32.5 million

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Former Times building, historic Tramor property in downtown St. Pete sold for $32.5 million

Two prominent properties in the heart of downtown St. Petersburg have sold for a combined $32.5 million, with plans for a high-rise condominium tower on the site.

Naples-based Stock Development, a family-owned luxury real estate development and homebuilding company, has purchased the 490 First Avenue South tower, formerly home to the Tampa Bay Times, and the historic Tramor Cafeteria building at 123 4th Street South, most recently occupied by Hofbräuhaus St. Petersburg.

The two properties together comprise 1.8 acres.

"We're excited to continue expanding our brand and remain confident in St. Petersburg and the Tampa Bay region," Keith Gelder, president of Stock Development, said in a conversation with St. Pete Rising. "We look forward to bringing a signature project to the market."

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Sarasota-based European bistro Marcel taking over former Left Bank Bistro space in St. Pete

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Sarasota-based European bistro Marcel taking over former Left Bank Bistro space in St. Pete

A well-known local restaurateur is bringing French food back to St. Pete's Historic Uptown neighborhood.

Chef Jeremy Duclut is opening a second location of Marcel, his Sarasota-based European bistro with a French influence, at 1225 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Street North.

The restaurant will take over the former Left Bank Bistro space, which closed last fall after seven years in operation.

Unlike his other restaurant ventures, Duclut purchased the property rather than leasing it.

"This is the first restaurant I've owned the building for," Duclut said in a conversation with St. Pete Rising. "Everything else, I'm a tenant."

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Southie Coffee expands in Seminole, adds Latin-themed evening speakeasy

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Southie Coffee expands in Seminole, adds Latin-themed evening speakeasy

A new speakeasy and lounge is getting ready to open out of a popular, locally owned coffee shop in Seminole.

Seminole residents Bella Rincon and Steven Gonzalez opened the first location of Southie Coffee in Clearwater in 2018, with a second location debuting a year later in Seminole.

Last month, its Seminole shop moved to a larger, 2,000-square-foot space in the same plaza at 13017 Park Boulevard.

The relocation not only provides customers with a larger café, but also allows the business to expand its menu and operating hours.

In the evenings, the space will transition into an entirely different concept called The Hideout, a stylish, low-lit speakeasy.

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Tampa's Southern Luv BBQ expanding to downtown St. Pete

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Tampa's Southern Luv BBQ expanding to downtown St. Pete

Grab a bib and a handful of napkins, because a new barbecue spot is headed to downtown St. Pete.

Southern Luv BBQ, a fast-casual concept that debuted its first location in Tampa two years ago, is coming soon to the EDGE District.

Chef Essi Tadrus and a local franchisee have signed a lease for a 1,256-square-foot space at 900 Central Avenue that was formerly part of Anytime Fitness.

The restaurant will have seating for approximately 20 guests indoors, with additional outdoor seating along Central Avenue.

The local franchisee, a St. Pete resident with more than 30 years of restaurant experience, has committed to opening 13 locations throughout Florida, including Clearwater, Pinellas Park, Lakeland, and South Florida.

The St. Pete location is expected to open later this year.

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Alligator Camp opens in the Grand Central District with vintage finds sourced from local storage units and estates

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Alligator Camp opens in the Grand Central District with vintage finds sourced from local storage units and estates

A newly-opened shop in St. Petersburg's Grand Central District is taking a different approach to second-hand retail, stocking its shelves with items sourced directly from local storage units and personal estates rather than thrift stores.

Alligator Camp recently opened at 2937 Central Avenue, located between pottery studio Sugar Cream Clay and artist co-op Daydream Shop.

The space was formerly occupied by The Nook, a tattoo studio and event space that quietly closed its doors earlier this year.

Local couple Lauralie Bradford and Ryan Vargus own the second-hand shop, which sells everything from physical media like VHS tapes, DVDs, vinyl records, and books to vintage decor and art.

Bradford has been selling vintage and homemade jewelry with her brand Shop the Genesis for the past decade, while Vargus and his father have run a business for the past several years where they clear out storage units and personal estates and resell vintage goods.

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St. Pete Pride expects 300,000 attendees for 2026 celebration during final weekend of June

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St. Pete Pride expects 300,000 attendees for 2026 celebration during final weekend of June

St. Pete Pride returns later this month with several weeks of events leading up to its signature parade and festival during the final weekend of June.

The annual celebration is expected to draw more than 300,000 attendees to downtown St. Petersburg for a weekend of entertainment, community events, and one of the largest Pride parades in the Southeast.

This year’s theme is “Here Comes the Sun,” which was selected by organizers to celebrate visibility, community, and LGBTQ+ culture.

Parade day festivities begin Saturday, June 27th at 2 p.m. at North and South Straub parks and will feature live music, local entertainers and artists, more than 100 vendors and exhibitors, and a variety of food and drink options.

The Trans March begins at 5 p.m., followed by the main parade at 6 p.m.

The parade route starts at Albert Whitted Park (near Al Lang Stadium) and travels along Bayshore Drive to Vinoy Park.

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The Chattaway will stay open as Ferg's owner joins new ownership group

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The Chattaway will stay open as Ferg's owner joins new ownership group

The Chattaway will remain open after all.

In March, St. Pete Rising reported that The Chattaway property at 358 22nd Avenue South was under contract and that St. Petersburg's longest-running restaurant was expected to close after the sale.

While the sale remains on track, the purchasing group has decided to continue operating the restaurant rather than shutter it.

The south St. Pete institution will be acquired by a local ownership group led by real estate investor Cullen Mahoney, who recently brought on Ferg's Sports Bar owner Mark Ferguson and Shrimpy's Waterfront owner John John Delladonna to keep the 75-year-old restaurant alive.

The sale is expected to be finalized in August, but according to Ferguson, customers should not expect any interruption to The Chattaway's operations.

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Resident-only parking proposal stalls in St. Pete

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Resident-only parking proposal stalls in St. Pete

A proposed expansion of St. Petersburg's residential parking program failed to gain traction Thursday, as City Council opted not to move forward with an ordinance that would have created a new tool for neighborhoods dealing with overflow parking from nearby commercial areas.

The issue gained renewed attention in recent months as City Council discussed and eventually approved the SunRunner Bus Rapid Transit Overlay, which eliminated minimum parking requirements for new development along much of the Central Avenue corridor west of 19th Street.

During those discussions, residents in neighborhoods including Historic Kenwood raised concerns about potential overflow parking from the Grand Central District.

Residents along the 4th Street North and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Street North corridors, including Allendale Terrace, Crescent Heights, and Magnolia Heights, voiced similar concerns as commercial activity continues to expand in those areas.

Some city leaders initially pointed to residential parking permit programs as a potential solution.

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Atomic Cat Cafe opens in St. Pete with vintage decor, coffee and vinyl records

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Atomic Cat Cafe opens in St. Pete with vintage decor, coffee and vinyl records

A vintage furniture dealer is expanding her footprint in north St. Pete with the opening of Atomic Cat Cafe, a retro-inspired coffee shop filled with antiques and collectibles from her personal collection.

Atomic Cat Cafe opens today at 10387 Gandy Boulevard North, in the same plaza as owner Ingrid Bridges' other two businesses, furniture store IM Vintage and thrift shop Ingrid's.

Bridges, who grew up in St. Petersburg, opened a storefront for her mid-century modern furniture business in the Gandy plaza in 2020 with the help of her husband and two children.

In 2024, she launched a vintage shop a few parcels away.

As more furniture sales shifted online, Bridges recently decided to relocate IM Vintage to a smaller space within the plaza and transform its former 2,500-square-foot storefront into a coffee shop.

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