Waldorf Astoria Residences tops $200 million in sales ahead of groundbreaking

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Waldorf Astoria Residences tops $200 million in sales ahead of groundbreaking

St. Petersburg’s first hotel-branded luxury condo tower has surpassed $200 million in sales ahead of its anticipated groundbreaking later this year.

The 50-story, 163-unit Waldorf Astoria Residences St. Petersburg, planned for 150 2nd Avenue South, reached the sales milestone roughly eight months after the development team announced the project had exceeded $100 million in sales.

The tower, which is expected to become the tallest building in the city, is being co-developed by Miami-based Property Markets Group (PMG) and St. Petersburg-based Feldman Equities, in partnership with Vancouver-based City Office REIT and Orlando-based Tower Realty Partners.

“Reaching $200 million sold at Waldorf Astoria Residences St. Petersburg is a landmark achievement and a powerful signal that demand for highly amenitized, hospitality-driven luxury residences in the Greater Tampa Bay Area is real and growing,” PMG Managing Partner Ryan Shear said in an announcement.

The $500 million tower will feature two- and three-bedroom residences, with prices currently starting at $2.9 million.

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LX Coffee bringing gold-topped lattes and first storefront to downtown St. Pete

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LX Coffee bringing gold-topped lattes and first storefront to downtown St. Pete

LX Coffee, a mobile coffee cart known for serving specialty lattes topped with edible gold, is opening its first brick-and-mortar location in downtown St. Pete.

The coffee company will occupy around 2,200 square feet inside a new fitness concept by Rare Body Studio opening this fall at 290 Dr. MLK Jr. Street North

“After catering so many events and seeing the growth in the St. Pete market, we knew it was the right time to open a shop,” said Natalie Matsuk, who owns LX Coffee with her husband, Andre.

The shop will feature a black-and-gold design, dim lighting, wood accents, a small merchandise area and a 21-foot-long bar as its centerpiece.

The cafe will offer seating for around 40 to 50 guests, including 8 to 10 seats outdoors along the sidewalk.

The coffee shop and Pilates studio will operate side-by-side, allowing visitors to move between the two spaces throughout the day.

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Tiny Town to bring a kid-sized town to Pinellas Park this fall

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Tiny Town to bring a kid-sized town to Pinellas Park this fall

A new indoor play village designed for children six and under is coming to Pinellas Park this fall, offering families a place where kids can explore, pretend, and socialize through imaginative play.

Tiny Town is opening at 7314 U.S. Highway 19 North in the Shoppes at Park Place shopping center, replacing clothing store chain Rainbow.

Set to debut on September 5th, the 4,300-square-foot facility will feature 15 miniature playhouses designed to resemble real-world destinations, including a grocery store, fire station, construction site, bakery, vet clinic, gas station, bank, and more.

The business is being brought to Pinellas Park by husband-and-wife team Jake and Caylen Babbitt, local entrepreneurs who say becoming parents inspired them to open the type of play space they wanted for their two-year-old daughter.

"We saw an opportunity in our area to open up a high-end play facility that we don't have to charge crazy prices for people to come and enjoy," Jake Babbitt said in a conversation with St. Pete Rising.

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State of the Economy: Employment, incomes, and construction value rise in St. Pete

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State of the Economy: Employment, incomes, and construction value rise in St. Pete

The City of St. Pete recorded a record $1.44 billion in construction value in 2025 while employment, household incomes, and the local labor force continued to grow, according to data presented Wednesday during the city's annual State of the Economy address at the Mahaffey Theater.

Mayor Ken Welch, alongside city officials and economic development leaders, provided an annual update on the city’s current economic standing.

“The state of our economy is not only measured by what we build, but it is also measured by who benefits, who belongs, and who can see a future here,” City Council Chair Lisset Hanewicz said during the address.

“Local governments cannot control interest rates, insurance costs, global supply chains, inflation or the weather, but we do shape conditions that help determine whether people can succeed despite those challenges,” Hanewicz said.

“We decide how to invest in infrastructure, plan for growth, whether our neighborhoods are connected, whether city processes are thoughtful and responsive, and whether we prepare for storms before they arrive rather than reacting afterward.”

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Drift + Story opens in Gulfport with apparel, gifts, and locally made goods

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Drift + Story opens in Gulfport with apparel, gifts, and locally made goods

A new boutique specializing in coastal-inspired apparel, accessories, and locally made goods has debuted in Gulfport.

Owner Haley Santamaria recently opened Drift + Story at 3129 Beach Boulevard, bringing a mix of women's apparel, sunglasses, hats, swimwear, candles, water bottles, children's beach accessories, jewelry, and other gift items to the waterfront business district.

Originally from California, Santamaria moved to Florida about two years ago to be closer to family. Earlier this year, she left her corporate job to open the boutique.

Drift + Story soft opened on May 23rd and has been steadily expanding its inventory since welcoming its first customers.

The space was previously occupied by Paw Paw's pet supply store, which closed in late 2024 following back-to-back hurricanes.

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Lorene's Fish House closes after 32 years in The Deuces, Love22 set to take its place

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Lorene's Fish House closes after 32 years in The Deuces, Love22 set to take its place

After 32 years serving customers along the Deuces corridor, Lorene's Fish House has closed, with local restaurateur Melissa "Melly" Gardner preparing to reopen the space later this month as a new concept called Love22.

Located at 927 22nd Street South, Lorene's Fish House quietly served its last customers on Saturday, May 30th.

Just days later, Gardner received the keys to the building.

Owner of the Three Generations food truck and Coasis restaurant in Tampa, the St. Pete-based chef and restaurateur is transforming the former Lorene's space into a new concept that will debut in phases over the coming months.

“I am extremely grateful to be entrusted with such a great legacy. Thank You Ms. Lorene for servicing our community for the last 30 years,” Gardner wrote on social media earlier this week. “Welcome Love22 to The Deuces, a new era of food fun and vibes.”

Gardner tells St. Pete Rising that Lorene's Fish House closed because its owner, Lorene Office, now in her mid-70s, has retired.

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Lakeland Film Lab to bring analog photography back to St. Pete this fall

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Lakeland Film Lab to bring analog photography back to St. Pete this fall

Vinyl is back. Flip phones are trending again. And film photography is having a moment too.

This fall, St. Pete photographers will have a new place to develop film, rent cameras, learn darkroom techniques, and connect with fellow creatives.

Lakeland Film Lab is headed to 2821 Central Avenue, taking over a 1,300-square-foot storefront in the Grand Central District between Cheeky's Fish & Raw Bar and the recently announced Nightwatch wine bar.

The St. Pete location will be the company's second. Husband-and-wife duo Nick and Elizabeth Buttrey launched the first Lakeland Film Lab in downtown Lakeland last year.

Since opening, the Lakeland store has taken off. They've even developed film for a few big musicians, including Coi Leray, SZA, and Snoop Dogg.

The St. Pete shop, expected to debut in November, will offer many of the same services as its Lakeland counterpart, such as film processing, scanning, film sales, classes, and community events, while adding several new features, including camera rentals, a community darkroom, and a custom photo booth designed specifically for St. Pete.

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Drive-thru salad restaurant Greenlane to open in Pinellas Park

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Drive-thru salad restaurant Greenlane to open in Pinellas Park

A Tampa-based fast-casual salad concept is planning a new location in Pinellas Park.

Greenlane has filed plans with the Southwest Florida Water Management District to redevelop the former Checkers property at 6401 Park Boulevard, demolishing the existing building and constructing a new 964-square-foot drive-through restaurant. The Checkers location closed in late 2024.

Greenlane specializes in scratch-made salads and wraps, including customizable options and signature menu items such as the Ginger Sesame Crunch and Golden Greek.

The chain specializes in affordable, scratch-made salads and wraps.

The brand is built on a mission to deliver nutritious alternatives to traditional fast food for less than $10, completely avoiding seed oils, fake ingredients, or pre-packaged dressings.

All Greenlane salads are priced between $6.99 and $8.99.

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Dirty soda trend arrives in downtown St. Pete with new beverage bar Idyll Vice

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Dirty soda trend arrives in downtown St. Pete with new beverage bar Idyll Vice

A new hangout for beer, wine, coffee, and dirty sodas is coming soon to Central Avenue.

Craft beverage bar Idyll Vice is headed to 667 Central Avenue, opening in the 935-square-foot space that formerly housed Sorrento Sweets, between The Lure and Graphi-ko Gallery.

Owner Witney Dupree, with the help of her husband Jeff and daughter Rene, plans to soft-open Idyll Vice sometime this month, with a grand opening celebration slated for July.

Dupree describes Idyll Vice as the “sweet spot between a daytime cafe and a bar, a multi-faceted concept serving both alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks.”

One of the bar’s biggest draws will be "dirty" sodas, which are a mix of soda, flavored syrups, purees, and cream that have surged in popularity through Utah-based chains like Swig and Sodalicious, and more recently gained national attention through the reality series The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives.

“Our menu is going to be set up a little bit differently than most coffee shops,” Dupree says. “It's going to be more of a build-your-own kind of vibe, where customers will choose a drink base, whether that's coffee, espresso, tea, or soda, then they pick their flavors, syrups, or mix-ins.”

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Nordic-Japanese restaurant Mei opens in downtown St. Pete from team behind Michelin-starred Kōsen

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Nordic-Japanese restaurant Mei opens in downtown St. Pete from team behind Michelin-starred Kōsen

A restaurant from the team behind Michelin-starred Kōsen in Tampa quietly opened its doors in downtown St. Pete last week.

Mei is located at 320 3rd Street South on the ground floor of the Camden Pier District Apartments, replacing Bento Asian Kitchen + Sushi, which closed earlier this year after eight years in business.

Helmed by Executive Chef Alex Chamberlain and backed by Orlando restaurateurs Jimmy and Johnny Tung, Mei is a new fine dining concept combining French technique, Nordic influences, and Japanese ingredients.

Chamberlain previously served as Chef de Cuisine at Kōsen, while the Tung brothers are the founders of Bento and the team behind multiple Michelin-starred restaurants.

The restaurant is a deeply personal project for Chamberlain, named after his sister.

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