A small specialty grocery store focused on organic, locally-grown foods is headed to St. Pete, offering a more direct connection to nearby farms, a curated selection of clean ingredients, and products you won’t typically find at larger grocery stores.

Lakeview Farm Store will open its second location at 1847 1st Avenue North in the Grand Central District, taking over the former home of educational nonprofit school Indi-ED, which relocated to 1619 11th Avenue North last spring.

The 3,540 square-foot space will be significantly larger than the company’s 1,000-square-foot Clearwater farm store.

The business is run by the Barbagelata family, who moved from Argentina to Pinellas County in 2021.

Their father worked as an agricultural engineer, connecting farmers to global markets, an influence that shaped the store’s approach to sourcing and food quality.

The Blend Coffee & Cocktails has quietly closed its flagship cafe at 1211 4th Street North after six years in business.

“The Blend Coffee has made the difficult decision to consolidate its St. Petersburg operations, which means its original Old Northeast location will be closing,” owner Stacha Madsen told St. Pete Rising. “While it’s always tough to see a neighborhood favorite leave a space that holds so many memories, this isn’t goodbye.”

Madsen said The Blend isn’t leaving St. Pete. The company will continue serving the community from its Magnolia Heights cafe at 3001 16th Street North and its drive-thru at 2760 34th Street North.

The Blend’s locations in Pinellas Park, Tampa, and Palmetto also remain open.

Madsen and her daughter, Nichole Richardson, opened their first local cafe inside the Tampa Bay Times building at 490 1st Avenue South in downtown St. Pete in December 2019 after relocating from Seattle.

Mrs. Thelma’s Southern Cuisine, a new restaurant serving fried chicken, smothered pork chops, collard greens, candied yams, and other soul food staples, is preparing to open near Central Avenue in St. Pete.

The restaurant, located in a 1,200-square-foot space at 119 49th Street South, is expected to debut in late summer or early fall.

St. Pete native Cornicole Rollins-Holt will operate Mrs. Thelma’s with her husband, Melvin. The restaurant is named after Melvin’s late mother, Thelma, an avid home cook who dreamed of opening a restaurant of her own.

The Holts plan to honor her legacy by creating a welcoming neighborhood restaurant centered around homestyle cooking and Southern hospitality.

“Mrs. Thelma’s is one of those places where we want to offer that homey, cozy feel,” Cornicole said in a conversation with St. Pete Rising. “When we say our motto is ‘Just Like Mom’s,’ I want it to feel like you’re walking into your family’s house when you’re at the restaurant. As soon as you walk in, the smells will take you back.”