A new shop specializing in handmade bath, body, and home products is preparing to open along Central Avenue.

Magnolia Soap and Bath Company will debut this Friday May 1st at 655 Central Avenue.

The 1,400-square-foot storefront takes over the former Three Dog Bakery space, which closed last month.

Inside, Magnolia offers a wide range of products made in house without preservatives.

The lineup includes soaps, sugar scrubs, body butters, bath bombs, shower oils, perfumes, and soy candles, along with one of its most popular items, a customizable laundry wash made from just a few ingredients.

Jennifer Shankle, a Palm Harbor resident originally from Maryland, is behind the new location.

A new racquet sport is landing in St. Pete, and it’s bringing a global following with it.

Padel, currently the fastest growing sport in the word, can now be played locally at St. Pete Athletic, located at 680 28th Street South in the Warehouse Arts District.

The addition is part of a nearly 20,000-square-foot expansion of the facility, which opened in December.

The 50,000-square-foot club now features 14 pickleball courts, six professional table tennis tables, and its newly added padel courts.

St. Pete Athletic also offers several on-site food and drink options through Rose’s Dining & Drinks, where both members and non-members can stop in for breakfast, lunch, dinner, coffee, and cocktails.

Padel originated in Mexico in the 1960s and blends elements of tennis and squash. The sport is played on an enclosed court, slightly larger than a pickleball court, where players can use the surrounding walls as part of the game.

It has been popular in countries like Spain and Argentina since the 1980s and its presence in the United States has been steadily expanding in recent years.

A fast-growing candy trend that’s been flooding social media feeds is about to land in downtown St. Pete.

The Pirate Candy Shop is set to open its first Pinellas County location this June at 1614 Central Avenue in the Grand Central District.

The candy shop is taking over a roughly 850-square-foot storefront previously occupied by Tabatha Exquisite Touch Beauty Salon, which operated there for more than 15 years before relocating down the street to 1592 Central Avenue.

The concept comes from husband-and-wife team Adam and Sol Lillhannus, who operate The Pirate Candy Shop in Tampa’s Hyde Park Village.

“We actually ship a lot of candy to St. Pete specifically, so we know we have customers there,” Adam Lillhannus said in a conversation with St. Pete Rising. “We looked at Clearwater, Largo, and Dunedin, but ultimately decided St. Pete was the right fit.”