August 08, 2023

Saturday Morning Market vendor opens Kurdish and Turkish bakery in downtown St. Pete

August 08, 2023/ Brian Hartz

Don’t let the matter-of-fact name fool you: St. Pete Bakery is not your typical American purveyor of breads, doughnuts, and pastries. In fact, it specializes in sweet and savory treats inspired by the cuisine of Turkey and the Kurdish region of northern Iraq.

Owner Tanya Shkaki, a former hairstylist, is Kurdish. She moved to the United States in 1997, settling in Virginia, but moved back to her homeland in 2013 to be with her ailing father. Seven years ago, she returned to U.S. soil but opted for Florida over Virginia, winding up in St. Petersburg.

“When I came back, I wanted to go somewhere different,” Shkaki told St. Pete Rising, adding that Florida is better for her mother, who lives with her and passed down many of the recipes she uses daily at St. Pete Bakery, most of which came from her grandmother. “I am really happy to share her food with the world in a nice boutique café,” she said.

August 03, 2023

Pan-Asian steakhouse Fortu opens next month, begins hiring in downtown St. Pete

August 03, 2023/ Brian Zucker

For all the great culinary options St. Pete has to offer, I have always felt the city could benefit from having more “special occasion” restaurants.

While we have a plethora of restaurants serving pizza, burgers, and ice cream, sometimes I’m in the mood to be spoiled by a restaurant that goes above and beyond with stunning décor, impeccable service, and incredible food and drinks.

There are several restaurants in downtown St. Pete that already offer an exceptional product, but as the saying goes, variety is the spice of life. And as our city grows, so should our elevated dining options.

Enter Fortu, a pan-Asian steakhouse set to open this September on the ground floor of the Ponce de Leon Hotel at 95 Central Avenue in downtown St. Pete. The space was home to Ceviche for nearly 25 years before their move to Beach Drive last year.

August 03, 2023

St. Pete City Council approves revised development plan for Orange Station

August 03, 2023/ Anthony Close

St. Petersburg City Council voted to approve revised plans for a mixed-use development planned for St. Pete’s EDGE District.

Orange Station was announced by Edge Central Development Partners in late 2019 in a request for proposal (RFP) process spearheaded by the City of St. Petersburg.

The project is a joint venture of J Square Developers, DDA Development, and Backstreets Capital, LLC, who have previously worked on other St. Petersburg developments like The Salvador, St. James Townhomes, and The Nolen

August 01, 2023

First look at Chef Chris Ponte's OLIVIA in downtown St. Pete

August 01, 2023/ Brian Zucker

A fresh set of design renderings have been revealed for Chef Chris Ponte’s OLIVIA, a modern Italian restaurant, debuting early next year in downtown St. Pete.

The 5,550-square-foot restaurant will be located on the ground floor of the recently completed 36-story Ascent apartment and hotel tower at 225 1st Avenue North.

“We’ve begun the permitting process with the City of St. Petersburg and are in the early phases of contractor bidding on the project,” said JT Mahoney, son of Chef Ponte and Partner at OLIVIA, in a conversation with St. Pete Rising.

OLIVIA’s Tampa location debuted in 2019 and has garnered a loyal following for delivering all the authentic flavors of a traditional Italian trattoria with innovative, modern touches from the mind of Chef Ponte.

August 01, 2023

Pinellas County Commission approves $25.2 million in funding for Dali Museum expansion plans

August 01, 2023/ Anthony Close

An expansion of St. Petersburg’s Dali Museum received a boost this morning with the approval of funding by Pinellas County’s Board of County Commissioners.

In May, the Pinellas County Tourist Development Council (TDC) gave its blessing to use $34 million in Tourist Development Taxes (TDT) for a major expansion of the Salvador Dali Museum in downtown St. Petersburg. The preliminary approval by the TDC required final approval of the Pinellas County Board of County Commissioners.

County staff recommended partially funding the request with $25.2 million, an increase of $7.7 million from a prior funding commitment of $17.5 million the museum originally submitted in 2019.

July 31, 2023

Wawa set to open its first Florida drive-thru restaurant in Largo

July 31, 2023/ Anthony Close

Wawa, the popular convenience store and foodservice chain, is all set to open its first-ever drive-thru restaurant in Florida.

The City of Largo recently issued a Development Order (DO) to authorize the redevelopment of a property at 2530 East Bay Drive, formerly home to a Kentucky Fried Chicken.

Wawa, founded in 1964 in Folsom, Pennsylvania, is well-known for its freshly prepared sandwiches, hoagies, and a variety of beverages, including their signature coffee blends. With over 1,000 locations across multiple states, the chain has built a loyal customer base and a strong presence in the Northeastern United States.

July 28, 2023

Controversial apartment project with affordable housing approved for west St. Pete

July 28, 2023/ Anthony Close

A massive multifamily development proposed for a 29-acre vacant parcel previously occupied by defense contractor Raytheon is moving forward after being approved by St. Petersburg City Council unanimously.

Last week, City Council hosted a public hearing to review a site plan to construct eleven four-story buildings with up to 1,058 units. The plans were filed by Azalea Porter Land LLC, an entity by Porter Development, who hopes to build a garden-style multifamily development on the site.

The parcel is located at 1501 72nd Street North and fronts 22nd Avenue North. The site was purchased by Raytheon in 1995 but never fully developed because of pollution issues that led to legal action. The company embarked on a lengthy environmental cleanup process in 2008 and sold the property, which neighbors Azalea Park, in 2015.

July 26, 2023

42-story condo tower Art House completes foundation pour in downtown St. Pete

July 26, 2023/ Brian Hartz

A major construction milestone has been reached on Art House, a 42-story condominium tower under construction in downtown St. Petersburg.

General contractor Coastal Construction has announced the completion of the foundation pour for the building, which is in under construction at 235 1st Avenue South.

Art House is being developed by Delray Beach-based Kolter Group, the developer behind ONE St. Petersburg and Saltaire.

July 26, 2023

Country bar Ride ‘em Cowboy coming to the Grand Central District

July 26, 2023/ Brian Zucker

If you’ve found yourself two-steppin’ to Luke Combs in your bedroom or consider yourself a rhinestone cowboy – or cowgirl – a new Grand Central District country bar will be right up your alley.

Ride ‘em Cowboy is coming soon to 2451 Central Avenue, a 3,420-square-foot space formerly home to Mixers at Old Key West Bar & Grill, which closed its doors on June 26th.

Ownership is keeping details close to the vest, but according to a recent job posting on Facebook, Ride ‘em Cowboy will feature live country music artists and country EDM DJs. Line cooks are also being hired, which suggests the bar will also serve food.

July 25, 2023

EMOTO electric motorbike dealership cruises into EDGE District

July 25, 2023/ Brian Hartz

The Swedish-made, zero-emission, street-legal CAKE Electric Motorbikes brand will soon be available in St. Petersburg thanks to this week’s opening of EMOTO Electric Motorbikes at 1104 Central Avenue in the EDGE District.

According to a news release, EMOTO is the authorized CAKE dealership for the Tampa Bay region. The CAKE line of electric motorbikes includes off-road models, versatile utility bikes, urban commuter bikes, and highly efficient, ultra-light rides.

“I lived in Hyde Park at the time, and wanted an electric vehicle that I get could around with that was a little more stylish than what was currently available,” said Michael Joyce EMOTO Electric Motorbikes Managing Partner in a conversation with St. Pete Rising.