Two-story restaurant and bar Stormrunner's Tavern to replace Caddy's in Gulfport

Two-story restaurant and bar Stormrunner's Tavern to replace Caddy's in Gulfport

A new two-story restaurant and bar will debut next year on downtown Gulfport’s most prominent corner at the intersection of Beach Boulevard South and Shore Boulevard South. 

Stormrunner’s Tavern will replace Caddy’s, which closed abruptly in July, at 3128 Beach Boulevard South.

Details on the new concept are sparse, but renderings of the new Gulfport hangout show three separate bars on the property.

Stormrunner’s Tavern will be the main restaurant and bar situated on the ground floor, The Crow’s Nest at Stormrunner’s Tavern will be on the second-floor outdoor patio with beautiful views of Boca Ciega Bay, and Bar Kitiki at Stormrunner’s Tavern will be a dog-friendly tiki bar located in a thatched roof cabana and side yard adjacent to Stormrunner’s Tavern.

Read More

Adieu-glu, a gluten-free bakery, now open in downtown St. Pete

Adieu-glu, a gluten-free bakery, now open in downtown St. Pete

St. Petersburg residents who’ve adopted a gluten-free diet by choice or necessity now have another option for buying locally-made baked goods, thanks to the opening of Adieu-glu at 1942 1st Avenue South, next to Pinellas Ale Works Brewery, in the Grand Central District.

Founded by Debra Cooper, who in 2004 was diagnosed with celiac disease, an autoimmune disorder that makes the body intolerant of gluten, Adieu-glu offers a wide range of artisan breads, bagels, and sweet treats, in addition to organic pantry items such as chocolate chips, sea salt, and butter that home bakers can use to make their own gluten-free creations. 

“We use a gluten-free, wild sourdough starter in our artisan loaves that even our gluten-consuming customers find superior in taste and quality,” says Cooper in an interview with St. Pete Rising.

Read More

Mezzo Market returns Saturday to Baum Avenue in St. Pete’s EDGE District

Mezzo Market returns Saturday to Baum Avenue in St. Pete’s EDGE District

Long-awaited cooler weather heralds the return of what’s become a beloved EDGE District seasonal tradition: Mezzo Market.  

The monthly outdoor market and festival will resume at 11 a.m. on Saturday, October 14th, at its traditional location on Baum Avenue between Intermezzo Coffee and Green Bench Brewing (1133 Baum Avenue, to be exact) in St. Petersburg.

Admission is free and the event will be held rain or shine.

The 125-plus vendor sites are sold out but a waitlist is available for the October 27th market. 

Read More

French pastry shop Le Macaron is coming to downtown St. Pete

French pastry shop Le Macaron is coming to downtown St. Pete

The Central Avenue corridor in downtown St. Petersburg continues its development as a haven for foodies with the arrival of Sarasota-based Le Macaron. The French pastry shop chain — which has locations across the country, from Santa Monica, California, to Cambridge, Massachusetts — will be opening at 657 Central Avenue, formerly the home of The Juice Shack. 

Sunshine City residents, however, might already be familiar with Le Macaron: The company briefly operated a downtown St. Pete location more than a decade ago at 203 1st Street NE, which is now occupied by Elite Shoe Repair.

In fact, Le Macaron, founded in 2009 by Rosalie Guillem and her daughter, Audrey Saba, is no stranger to the greater Tampa Bay region: It already has a store at Tyrone Square mall in west St. Pete in addition to Sarasota and Wesley Chapel, with more locations coming soon to Clearwater and Tarpon Springs.

Read More

Local, family-owned baby boutique debuts on 4th Street North

Local, family-owned baby boutique debuts on 4th Street North

Parents of infants can now shop local for their new bundles of joy at Oh Baby! St. Pete, a baby boutique, which opened over the weekend at 6101 4th Street North.  

According to co-owners Kayla Lancioni and Genesis Pacheco, the 1,600-square-foot Oh Baby! St. Pete is “a family-owned baby boutique for the modern-day mama.”

They estimate that about 85 percent of the products they stock are organic.  

“We have higher-quality, better-quality clothes,” Lancioni said in an interview with St. Pete Rising. “And not just clothes, but toys and accessories. We’re catering to ages two and under, so we have a lot more variety because we’re sticking to a smaller age group.”

Read More

Ride ‘Em Cowboy, St. Pete's newest country bar, opens for business

Ride ‘Em Cowboy, St. Pete's newest country bar, opens for business

It’s time to shine up your cowboy boots, St. Petersburg! Ride ‘Em Cowboy quietly opened on Sunday at 2451 Central Avenue, in the heart of the city’s Grand Central District.

The country bar occupies the 3,420-square-foot space that was formerly the home of Mixers at Old Key West Bar & Grill, which closed in June.

“We will have live music here Thursday through Sunday,” said Owner Greg Mikurak in an interview with St. Pete Rising. “We have live bands and DJs lined up for the next two weeks.”

Read More

The Sourdough Co. bakery and cafe to open in the EDGE District next month

The Sourdough Co. bakery and cafe to open in the EDGE District next month

A bakery and café that specializes in sourdough breads, cookies, sandwiches, and soups has leased space at 1113 Central Avenue, formerly the home of Karma Juice Bar & Eatery.

The Sourdough Co. has been selling its baked goods online via an e-commerce site but owner Ariana Duksa said she’ll be setting up shop in the prime EDGE District space in November. She’s hiring bakers, kitchen staff, and counter help and encourages job seekers to email their resumes to Jobs@thesourdough.co.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, every baked good sold at The Sourdough Co. will be made with sourdough, including round loaves, sandwich loaves, and baguettes, in addition to cookies, brownies, cinnamon rolls, and scones. 

Read More

2,084-unit mixed-use development Skyway Village approved by St. Pete’s Development Review Commission

2,084-unit mixed-use development Skyway Village approved by St. Pete’s Development Review Commission

After hours of deliberation, St. Petersburg’s Development Review Commission approved a massive mixed-use development planned for the Skyway Marina District on Wednesday night. The mixed-use project was proposed earlier this year for a long-underutilized office park that previously housed Ceridian, a Minneapolis-based company that provides human resources software and services.

The 34.3-acre development, named Skyway Village, is a phased, master-planned project that will include demolishing most of the existing 380,000 square foot office park at 3102 34th Street South and constructing a series of new mid-rise buildings that include a mix of apartments and walkable community retail, most notably a Sprouts Farmers Market.

Skyway Village is being developed by Altis Cardinal Skyline 2, LLC, an entity controlled by Coral Gables-based Altis Cardinal, and will include 2,084 apartments, 80,920 square feet of retail space, 22,500 square feet of office space, and 119,160 square feet of accessory self-storage space, and 4,000 parking spaces.

Read More

Construction begins on 19-story condo tower The Julia in downtown St. Pete

Construction begins on 19-story condo tower The Julia in downtown St. Pete

Construction is set to begin on the latest condominium tower to join downtown St. Petersburg’s growing skyline.

Last week, the developers of The Julia, a 19-story condominium tower planned for 100 4th Avenue North, kicked off site preparations and construction activity with a groundbreaking ceremony. 

The Julia is being co-developed by the Francis Family, which is led by seasoned real estate developer Peter Francis, and Robert Sherman from MBA development. The condominium tower is named after Francis’ 13-year-old daughter Julia, one of his four children.

Read More

The Hippie Shack to open in former Sea Hags spot on St. Pete Beach

The Hippie Shack to open in former Sea Hags spot on St. Pete Beach

Sea Hags Bar & Grill, a popular waterfront establishment located at 9555 Blind Pass Road in St. Pete Beach — just across the bridge from Treasure Island — closed its doors in June, much to the dismay of the pub’s extremely loyal customer base.

But in a few short weeks, the space will reopen under new ownership as the Hippie Shack, which bills itself as “an eatin’, drinkin’, and dancin’ kind of joint.”  

According to General Manager Mallory Chernesky, who landed a bartending job at Sea Hags after moving to St. Petersburg in autumn 2022, the Hippie Shack, true to its name, will have a 1960s/1970s vibe.

Read More