St. Petersburg’s booming Grand Central District has enticed The Oyster Bar, a staple of the downtown dining scene since 1999, to pull up stakes and leave its longtime home at 249 Central Avenue.

The eatery, known for its seafood menu and happy hour specials, closed its doors on Sunday, August 20th, but will reopen this October at 2245 Central Avenue, a 3,200-square-foot space formerly home to Zoie’s, an LGBTQ-owned restaurant that opened in 2022.

The business sale is currently under contract and expected to close later this week. Jenna Malowany of KW Commercial is representing the previous tenant and Joe Esposito of KW Commercial is representing The Oyster Bar in the business sale transaction.

Freya’s Diner, a plant-based restaurant located at 2462 Central Avenue, shuttered on August 6th, citing an unusually slow summer season for local small businesses. In an ironic twist, the vegan lunch and dinner spot is being replaced by Proper Meats, a funky sandwich shop whose menu is jam-packed with dishes that feature chicken, duck, brisket, pork, turkey, bacon, and even duck and gator meat.

Proper Meats started out as a food truck stationed at Motorworks Brewing in Bradenton. It’s the brainchild of James Knight, who was part of the group that launched Dr. BBQ in St. Petersburg. He has also served as executive chef at Datz in Tampa and Donovan’s Meatery in Riverview.

To be fair, Proper Meats’ menu includes some vegan and vegetarian choices, such as the Faux Burger, made with an Impossible Burger patty, and the PETA pita containing hummus, cucumber, lettuce, tomato, onion, and ranch.

Fresco’s Waterfront Bistro, a longtime staple of downtown St. Petersburg’s waterfront and four-time winner of Tampa Bay’s best waterfront restaurant, could look much different — or disappear entirely — because of the impending redevelopment of the city’s municipal marina.

Two companies, Safe Harbor Marinas and Suntex Marinas, are bidding for a contract that would include redeveloping and operating the marina, which is in need of extensive repairs.

Located at 300 2nd Avenue Northeast, at the entrance of the St. Pete Pier, Fresco’s is privately operated but restaurant owner David Sockol leases the 2,600-square-foot property from the city. Sockol opened Fresco’s in 2003.

Kava and kratom bars have popped up all over St. Petersburg and Pinellas County in recent years as people seek nightlife options that don’t involve alcoholic drinks. But Moon Mountain, opening this September on the Jannus Block in downtown St. Pete, has taken a different approach — adding craft beers to its beverage menu. 

Moon Mountain will be launching at 204 1st Avenue North, formerly home to Hoots, a fast-casual restaurant by Hooters.

In case you haven’t stumbled into one of the many kava bars in St. Pete, kava is a plant from the Pacific Islands with roots that, when ingested, have a relaxing effect on the body, ease tension, and alleviate stress. The feeling is very similar to an alcohol buzz, but without the hangover. However, despite having a similar effect, mixing kava and alcohol is not recommended.