Popular vegan restaurant Golden Dinosaurs will permanently close

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Popular vegan restaurant Golden Dinosaurs will permanently close

Golden Dinosaurs, regarded as one of the best vegan restaurants in Tampa Bay, will be closing permanently later this month.

The popular vegan deli and bakery that slings plant-based sandwiches and sweets announced the upcoming closure at 2930 Beach Boulevard.

"The era of vegan restaurant extinction seems to be upon us, and Gold Dinos will unfortunately not survive the apocalypse," owners Brian and Audrey Dingeman wrote.

The husband-and-wife duo, also owners of St. Pete's Good Intentions vegan restaurant, cited economic challenges for closing the fast-casual space that opened in 2018.

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New SunRunner station opens by St. Pete Pier, PSTA launches "After Dark" service

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New SunRunner station opens by St. Pete Pier, PSTA launches "After Dark" service

A new SunRunner station has opened in downtown St. Pete, aiming to better connect residents and visitors to the St. Pete Pier District and businesses along Beach Drive.

Friday morning, the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority (PSTA), Congresswoman Kathy Castor, State Representative Lindsay Cross, St. Petersburg City Councilmembers, and others celebrated the ribbon-cutting for the new station at 150 1st Avenue North.

The 1st Avenue North station, which was completed in six months, is located near popular downtown restaurants and bars such as Who’s on First, Tequila Daisy, and Social Roost.

It's one of over 30 stops along the 10.3-mile bus rapid transit route that debuted in October 2022, linking downtown St. Petersburg to St. Pete Beach via dedicated lanes running along 1st Avenue North and 1st Avenue South.

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Downtown St. Pete development site near Central Avenue hits the market

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Downtown St. Pete development site near Central Avenue hits the market

A redevelopment site in the heart of downtown St. Petersburg has hit the market.

The property is located one block from Central Avenue at 125 5th Street South and sits across the street from the 46-story Residences at 400 Central building, which is slated to be completed later this year. The parcel currently houses an 11,357-square-foot office building anchored by Wells Fargo Bank.

“This property has generated a lot of interest from developers over the past few years who wanted to redevelop the property into a high-rise tower,” Vector Commercial Real Estate Services Broker Blakemore Kearney said to St. Pete Rising.

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21-story apartment tower proposed near USF in downtown St. Pete

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21-story apartment tower proposed near USF in downtown St. Pete

A local developer has proposed to construct a 21-story, 213-unit apartment building directly across from the University of South Florida in downtown St. Pete.

St. Pete-based real estate company Stadler Development has filed a site plan application with the city for a $67 million tower that is expected to rise on a 0.69-acre property at 446 4th Street South, which is currently home to a 5,000-square-foot commercial building occupied by Fresenius Kidney Care American Dialysis Center.

“This site will deliver the demand for the Innovation District. The whole community, including students and hospital workers, should be well-served by this project,” Stadler Development Managing Partner John Stadler said in a conversation with St. Pete Rising.

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St. Pete Ferments and Queen & Colony relocate to new home near downtown

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St. Pete Ferments and Queen & Colony relocate to new home near downtown

The longtime farmer's market vendor who's garnered a name for herself making kombucha and fermented vegetables in St. Pete has found a new permanent home.

Jars of raw honey, bottles of kombucha with fruity flavors, and fermented kimchi and sauerkraut fill the shelves and cooler along the brick walls and cooler inside St. Pete Ferments' new brick-and-mortar shop at 326 MLK Jr. Street North, a space with Queen and Colony Bee Company, which specializes in local, raw honey and beekeeper education.

The two businesses previously shared a space at an industrial building 4922 8th Avenue South in Gulfport.

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Local hotelier buys Old Florida hotel property on St. Pete Beach

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Local hotelier buys Old Florida hotel property on St. Pete Beach

The 18-key Beach Haven Villas hotel, located on the picturesque shores of St. Pete Beach, now has a new owner—a prominent and well-established local hotelier.

Kevin Bowden, owner of St. Pete Beach's Miramar Resort and Cambria Hotel on Madeira Beach, purchased the Art Deco-styled hotel at 4980 Gulf Boulevard from Beach Haven LLC in a roughly $6.24 million deal. Beach Haven LLC is a local small business whose President is Carolyn Thatcher.

Bowden took out a $4.65 million mortgage loan from St. Pete-based real estate specialty finance firm Directed Capital in the transaction.

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Home of the Week: 1957-built Mid-Century Marvel in St. Petersburg's Pinellas Point

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Home of the Week: 1957-built Mid-Century Marvel in St. Petersburg's Pinellas Point

This week’s featured home is a fascinating piece of mid-century architecture located at 801 Pinellas Point Drive South. Built in 1957, this three-bedroom, two-and-a-half-bath home offers 2,538 square feet of living space on a spacious 0.27-acre lot.

Nicknamed a “Mid-Century Marvel” by the St. Petersburg Times decades ago, the house showcases design elements that capture the spirit of its era. Highlights include a triangular fireplace, geometric wall features, a built-in fish tank, and a circular dining table.

Small touches in the kitchen, like pull-out storage for aluminum foil and plastic wrap, reflect the innovative thinking of the time.

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East Indian street food restaurant Mowgli’s Tiffin debuts in the EDGE District

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East Indian street food restaurant Mowgli’s Tiffin debuts in the EDGE District

In a quiet corner of downtown St. Pete in the former Chi-town Beefs and Dogs space, a new Indian restaurant introduces Bengali street food to the Sunshine City.

First-time restaurateur and founder Amita Mukherjee quietly opened Mowgli's Tiffin earlier this week at 165 Doctor Martin Luther King Jr. Street North, bringing kati rolls and other dishes from the streets of Kolkata to the EDGE District.

“Mowgli's Tiffin celebrates the rich tapestry of Bengali culture,” Mukherjee said to St. Pete Rising. “The street food we are making is akin to the delicious bites you’d find on the streets of India.”

The quaint, 540-square-foot restaurant is named after the wild, curious, and adventurous boy named Mowgli from Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book. Additionally, the Indian word tiffin means lunchbox and, in certain parts of India, a light meal or snack eaten anytime between lunch and dinner.

Mukherjee's parents immigrated to the United States from India over 50 years ago. She was raised in St. Pete and says she hasn’t found many restaurants in town serving the Indian dishes she misses from her homeland. In particular, street food holds a special place in her heart, so Mowgli's will serve dishes that remind her of West Bengal in eastern India.

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Pickleball is coming to the St. Pete Pier

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Pickleball is coming to the St. Pete Pier

Pickleball courts are coming to the St. Pete Pier thanks to a collaboration between the City of St. Petersburg and St. Pete Athletic, a local group bringing a 45,000-square-foot athletic and social club to the Warehouse Arts District this spring.

For two months, from January 17th to March 16th, two pickleball courts will be set up at 660 2nd Avenue NE near the Pier’s splash pad for everyone of all skill levels to enjoy.

“We are thrilled to parter with the City on this exciting initiative that furthers our mission to promote active, social lifestyles in St. Petersburg,” said Founder of St. Pete Athletic Reuben Pressman in a conversation with St. Pete Rising. “We cannot wait for St. Pete residents and visitors to enjoy playing pickleball on the beautiful downtown waterfront with the St. Pete skyline in the background.”

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Salty Pup Coffeehouse and Bakeshop opens in Gulfport

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Salty Pup Coffeehouse and Bakeshop opens in Gulfport

Gulfport residents and their pups can enjoy a new cozy cafe serving coffee, baked goods, and a selection of breakfast and lunch items.

Jeff and Jody Musselman quietly opened the Salty Pup Coffeehouse and Bakeshop several weeks ago at 5004 Tangerine Avenue South, which was formerly home to Mama Pearl’s.  

“Whenever we travel, we love visiting coffee shops for their different atmosphere and vibes. We’ve always talked about opening a shop one day,” Jody said to St. Pete Rising.

Named in tribute to their beloved dog, Salty Pup is working with a small Tampa-based wholesale coffee roaster to source beans for their espresso-based drinks, cold brew, and drip coffee. They also serve chai and matcha lattes.

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