September 06, 2023

St Pete Pier to become Tampa Bay’s newest waterfront outdoor music venue

September 06, 2023/ Brian Zucker

This winter, the St. Pete Pier will become Tampa Bay’s newest waterfront outdoor music venue.

Throughout November, December, and January, Rise Up St. Pete will host at least 12 concerts at Spa Beach Park featuring national headliners like Lauv, Chelsea Cutler, G Eazy, QUINN XCII, and more.

More big names could be on the way too. Although not booked yet, organizers are in discussions with several other top tier national artists to play at the St. Pete Pier.

Situated on the waterfront with the downtown St. Pete skyline as a backdrop, the new concert series is set to deliver an unparalleled live music experience by transforming the iconic St. Pete Pier and Spa Beach Park into Florida’s next premier concert destination.

September 01, 2023

Downtown St. Pete to host inaugural Orange Belt criterium cycling race in October

September 01, 2023/ Brian Zucker

Whether you’re a cycling fanatic or a casual cruiser, the upcoming CRIT Championship Tour has something for you.

Orange Belt, a new organizer of cycling events based in St. Petersburg, is excited to host the CRIT Championship Tour, a criterium bike race in the heart of the EDGE District to be held on October 21, 2023.

A criterium, or crit, is a bike race consisting of several laps around a closed circuit. “Think of a criterium like NASCAR,” said Michael Rideout, who co-founded Orange Belt with Nathan Stonecipher. “We’re doing a set number of laps.”

This year’s CRIT Championship Tour takes place in the heart of The EDGE District between 11th and 15th Streets.

August 31, 2023

Pete’s Bagels to open drive-thru location at historic gas station in south St. Pete

August 31, 2023/ Brian Zucker

St. Petersburg’s oldest gas station will soon become a drive-thru café serving St. Pete’s finest bagels and coffee.

Pete’s Bagels has leased the historic Harbordale Standard Oil Station located at 2439 4th Street South adjacent to the historic Driftwood neighborhood in St. Pete. Owner Steven Peterman hopes to open the new drive-thru sometime in early 2024.

“We are tentatively calling it Pete’s Drive-Thru. It's going to be an express version of Pete’s Bagels,” said Peterman in an interview with St. Pete Rising. “We will be very coffee-focused too, especially because there isn't a lot of coffee down there.”

August 31, 2023

Vertical construction begins on 40-unit Castille Urbana in downtown St. Pete

August 31, 2023/ Anthony Close

A construction milestone has been reached on Castille Urbana, the latest project by NJR Investment & Development Company.

The five-story building at 600 3rd Avenue South in downtown St. Petersburg will feature 40 condominiums with two- and three-bedroom floor plans, ranging from 1,158 to 1,650 square feet.

The developer has announced the completion of the building’s podium and says vertical construction will begin ahead of schedule. The one-story podium will contain the building’s parking garage and lobby area and will be topped by four floors of condominium residences.

August 28, 2023

Drive-thru only Starbucks proposed for 9th Avenue North in North Kenwood

August 28, 2023/ Anthony Close

Another week, another new coffee shop planned for St. Pete!

But unlike recent news of locally owned coffee shops like The Blend opening in Magnolia Heights and Sage’s Playground opening in downtown St. Pete, this time it’s a new location by Seattle-based coffee giant Starbucks.

Plans have been filed for a new Starbucks at the northeast corner of 9th Avenue North and 34th Street in St. Pete’s North Kenwood neighborhood. The site was formerly an Exxon Mobile gas station. The parcel is owned by Catfish Real Estate, LLC.

August 28, 2023

The Oyster Bar is relocating to the Grand Central District

August 28, 2023/ Brian Hartz

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.

August 25, 2023

Women’s clothing boutique Vogue Society opens this weekend in downtown St. Pete

August 25, 2023/ Brian Hartz

A women’s fashion boutique that’s owned and operated by a mother-daughter team is coming soon to downtown St. Petersburg after finding success at Sarasota’s University Town Center.

Vogue Society Boutique will be located at 212 2nd Street North, next to the newly opened Dirty Shirley restaurant and bar and across the street from the Sundial retail, dining, and entertainment complex.

Founders Sharon and Kait Yoniski are planning a Saturday August 26th grand opening and they’re stoking interest in the debut of their second location with an Instagram contest that will award the lucky winner free clothes for a year.

August 24, 2023

Tesla plans to build new Supercharger on 22nd Avenue in St. Pete

August 24, 2023/ Anthony Close

Good news for electric vehicle owners! Tesla is planning to open a new Supercharger in St. Pete!

According to documents filed with the City of St. Petersburg, the Tesla Supercharger is planned for the parking lot of the Lowe’s Home Improvement store at 2365 25th Street North.

The site is also home to a Wawa gas station that fronts 22nd Avenue North. Tesla has previously partnered to build its supercharging stations at other Wawa locations.

August 23, 2023

St. Pete’s only children’s toy shop Runrun Kids Store debuts this week

August 23, 2023/ Brian Hartz

It’s hard to believe that there are zero local toy stores for kids in St. Pete. But it’s true. We have an incredible children’s museum, fantastic playgrounds all over the city, and an adorable kid’s clothing boutique, but not one local children’s toy store. None. Nada. Zero. Zilch.

Until now.

Runrun Kids Store debuts this Thursday, August 24th, graduating from a kiosk on the St. Pete Pier to a spacious 1,300-square-foot, brick-and-mortar shop at 3962 Central Avenue. Jenna Malowany of KW Commercial represented Runrun in the lease transaction.

Owner Jess Garvin opened Runrun in November 2022, signing a one-year lease for the kiosk space, but told St. Pete Rising that she always aspired to open a larger, permanent location, especially because of the dearth of toy stores in downtown St. Petersburg.

August 22, 2023

Proper Meats sandwich shop to replace plant-based eatery in the Grand Central District

August 22, 2023/ Brian Hartz

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.