Pulpo, a new Latin and Peruvian-fusion restaurant and bar, debuts in the Grand Central District

/
Pulpo, a new Latin and Peruvian-fusion restaurant and bar, debuts in the Grand Central District

Pulpo Kitchen & Lounge, a Latin and Peruvian-inspired restaurant and bar from the owners of the popular Brick and Mortar restaurant in downtown St. Pete, has opened in the Grand Central District.

The restaurant at 2147 Central Avenue boasts turquoise booths, brass accents, and a menu featuring cocktails with a kick, a fully-charred octopus, and twists on traditional ceviche. The restaurant was first reported by St. Pete Rising in January 2023.

"You will not find anything else like this in St. Petersburg," General Manager and Beverage Director Dylan Ruhe said to Rising inside the new space.

Dylan is the cousin of owner Jason Ruhe. Ruhe and his wife, Hope Montgomery, are the same duo behind downtown St. Petersburg’s Brick & Mortar Kitchen + Wine Bar. Meanwhile, Chef Marcos Bernal from Sea Worthy is the head chef of Pulpo.

Pulpo, which translates to "octopus" in Spanish, will represent a marriage of cuisines from Central and South America, and influences from Peru and Mexico.

Read More

Classic vintage cocktail bar Tampa Bay Drinkery opens in the Grand Central District

/
Classic vintage cocktail bar Tampa Bay Drinkery opens in the Grand Central District

Green and beige velvet chairs, mismatched oriental rugs, antique clocks, and a grand piano on center stage are part of the eclectic atmosphere inside a new bar and music venue in St. Pete's Grand Central District.

Located at 2756 Central Avenue, Tampa Bay Drinkery is the brainchild of Wellington Moto, who’s part of the management team at Grumpy Gringo Liquors located next door to the new bar.

“I handpicked all of the vintage items here down to the lightbulbs,” Moto said to St. Pete Rising, showing a stack of vinyl records next to a grand piano.

Moto scoured auction houses, antique dealers, and collectors from around the country for the long-vacant space.

Read More

Pinellas County Commission approves $312.5M in bonds for new Rays stadium in St. Petersburg

/
Pinellas County Commission approves $312.5M in bonds for new Rays stadium in St. Petersburg

After a two-month delay, the Pinellas County Commission has voted to honor its commitment to financially support the development of a new $1.3 billion Tampa Bay Rays stadium.

At a Tuesday meeting, county commissioners voted 5-2 to allocate $312.5 million toward the construction of the 30,000-seat ballpark. The county’s share will be funded through existing tourist taxes collected on hotel stays and short-term rentals.

Newly elected commissioners Vince Nowicki and Chris Scherer voted against the proposal, while Commissioners Chris Latvala, Kathleen Peters, Dave Eggers, Rene Flowers, and Brian Scott voted in favor of approving the bonds.

Read More

Local roaster opens first cafe inside Sans Market in St. Pete's EDGE District

/
Local roaster opens first cafe inside Sans Market in St. Pete's EDGE District

After four years of micro-roasting out of a small garage in St. Pete, Sun Bear Specialty Coffee Roasters has opened its first cafe in the EDGE District.

Sun Bear has set up shop in the back of Sans Market, a zero-waste retail store located at 1037 Central Avenue, serving their farmer-forward single-origin coffee and espresso drinks.

The quaint cafe is outfitted with a wooden bar stacked on top of concrete blocks and a shelf stocked with retail bags of Sun Bear coffee beans sourced from international producers.

“I'm big on the farmers who produce the coffee and the process it goes through,” owner Kenny Beers said to St. Pete Rising.

Read More

Indoor golf lounge The Irons Club swings into downtown St. Pete

/
Indoor golf lounge The Irons Club swings into downtown St. Pete

An urban indoor golf experience is opening in the Grand Central District of downtown St. Pete.

The Irons Club plans to debut early next year at 2140 Central Avenue.

The 4,000-square-foot facility, which was previously home to Euphoria Salon and Day Spa, will feature four state-of-the-art Trackman simulators each holding up to eight players and a putting green fronting Central Avenue.

There will also be a 9-seat bar with hightop tables serving beer and wine and a food menu serving American bar fare.

The Irons Club's private golfing simulation bays will be equipped with lounge seating, golf clubs, and the latest golfing simulation technology from tech company Trackman, which was created in 2003 by brothers Klaus and Morten Eldrup-Jørgensen and radar engineer Fredrik Tuxen.

Read More

It's official: St. Pete's Mirror Lake is now a historic district

/
It's official: St. Pete's Mirror Lake is now a historic district

The quaint Mirror Lake neighborhood in the heart of St. Pete's bustling downtown will now limit future development and changes to existing buildings.

After years of discussions and a long-winded debate during Thursday’s City Council meeting, councilmembers cast a 5-2 vote approving a local historic district designation for properties located within 200 feet of Mirror Lake, which has the largest collection of intact historic structures in St. Pete.

The approval was met with applause from a crowd of Mirror Lake residents who largely supported the citizen-initiated application, which was spearheaded by local preservation advocacy group Preserve the Burg, aimed at preserving the community's pedestrian-friendly low-rise character.

Read More

400 Central developer Red Apple Group acquires Mirror Lake tower site in downtown St. Pete

/
400 Central developer Red Apple Group acquires Mirror Lake tower site in downtown St. Pete

New York-based developer Red Apple Real Estate has closed on the purchase of a 0.94-acre parcel in downtown St. Petersburg.

The acquisition comes weeks after the company told St. Pete Rising it was under contract to purchase the site at 233 5th Street North. The purchase closed on December 13th for $13 million — $200,000 lower than the previously announced price of $13.2 million.

The sellers acquired the property in December 2021 for $15.5 million.

Read More

Done Deals: City approves funding for Trop roof repairs, TV personality sells Snell Isle home, Sweetgreen opens in downtown

/
Done Deals: City approves funding for Trop roof repairs, TV personality sells Snell Isle home, Sweetgreen opens in downtown

Done Deals is a weekly column by St. Pete Rising spotlighting recent real estate market insight and significant deals happening in the Sunshine City and beyond. The following information is sourced from public records and trusted intel.

Have real estate news to share? Send us an email at hello@stpeterising.com.

Read More

TikTok famous coffee company to open cafe in downtown St. Pete

/
TikTok famous coffee company to open cafe in downtown St. Pete

A local mobile coffee truck that has garnered a large following through viral TikTok videos will open a new cafe in downtown St. Pete.

Next month, Bean Wandering will bring its popular canned-to-order iced coffee, in addition to a small food menu from The Crumb Factory, to the ground floor of the 12-story City Center office building.

City Center, located at 100 2nd Avenue South, was previously home to restaurant chain Nature's Table. Bean Wandering will replace Nature’s Table in a reconfigured space in the building’s lobby.

“This started as a hobby in June 2023 when we did our first pop-up event in front of my mom’s house in Tampa. I never thought I'd have a physical coffee shop and could afford a space in downtown St. Pete,” owner Hanna Rewerts said to St. Pete Rising.

Read More

New 85-unit affordable housing community for seniors opens in West St. Pete

/
New 85-unit affordable housing community for seniors opens in West St. Pete

More than 85 seniors earning low-income wages have a new modern apartment in St. Pete to call home.

Earlier today, developer Blue Sky Communities and Park & Eleazer Construction cut the ribbon on the new 85-unit Bear Creek Commons affordable housing complex at 635 64th Street South in west St. Pete, adjacent to Bear Creek, a 2.7-mile stream that flows to Boca Ciega Bay. 

The property was previously home to Grace Connection Church before construction commenced in 2023.

Read More