As one taco joint falls, another joins the fray. Poppo’s Taqueria now open in the EDGE District at 1033 Central Avenue, formerly Designer’s Consigner.

Started on Anna Maria Island in 2013, Poppo’s Taqueria is a family owned and operated Mexican-inspired restaurant that traces their roots to the street food of San Francisco’s Mission District. The St. Pete location will be the restaurant’s seventh outpost.

The menu is simple, offering build-your-own tacos, burritos, quesadillas, or bowls. Protein selections include ancho chicken, carnitas, morita steak, and tempeh. There are around twelve different fillings including pico de gallo, jalapeño relish, and honey-lime slaw.

Sometimes it seems like all of St. Petersburg’s growth is happening downtown. And there’s no doubt that part of town is booming with new construction. But there are exciting developments sprouting up in other neighborhoods of St. Pete too.

Back in March, a senior housing developer, Prevarian Senior Living, purchased a parcel of land near Tyrone Square Mall for $5.18 million. In May, American House St. Petersburg, a senior housing community, broke ground on the corner of 9th Avenue and 66th Street. The development will feature 165 units and offer independent living, assisted living and memory care services in a resort-style setting.

The project is being co-developed by Prevarian Senior Living and American House Senior Living Communities, one of the country’s largest owners and operators of senior living communities.

Get ready, St. Pete! Sunshine Kitty Catfe, Tampa Bay’s first cat cafe, will open this fall at 1663 1st Avenue South in Downtown St. Pete.

Never heard of a cat cafe? Not to worry! A typical cat cafe is divided into two sections — a cafe that serves food and drinks and a cat lounge filled with adorable and adoptable cats.

The cat lounge is where the cats live, so to keep the space as low stress as possible, and to make it a pleasant experience for the people visiting, there is usually a limit on the amount of people admitted to the cat lounge per hour. The standard setup is to offer one hour reservations, which are highly recommended.

But before Sunshine Kitty Catfe can open their doors, they need our help! Although they’ve secured a beautiful space in Downtown St Pete, there is still a lot of work to be done. Sunshine Kitty is currently raising money via IndieGoGo to fund major renovations of the space, and to acquire appropriate permitting and licensing required by the city and state.