March 16, 2026

TapHouse 61 closes after nearly nine years in the Grand Central District

March 16, 2026/ Kyla Fields

A popular bar on Central Avenue served its last customers last week.

TapHouse 61 at 2061 Central Avenue in the Grand Central District has closed after nearly nine years in business.

The neighborhood bar offered more than a dozen craft beers on tap along with cocktails, wine, and bottled beer, attracting a loyal following of regulars, service industry workers, and neighborhood residents.

TapHouse 61 opened in 2017 after its owners rebranded the space’s previous concept, Sly Bar.

The earlier bar, which debuted in 2014, had developed a reputation as a casual dive known for its sandwich menu and live music.

When Sly Bar pivoted to TapHouse 61, owner Joe Robertson expanded the bar’s craft beer focus by increasing the number of taps, introducing a broader selection of bottles and cans, and hosting beer-centric events.

March 16, 2026

Owner of The Bends and Wild Child to open Easy Tiger, a hi-fi listening lounge and cocktail bar in the EDGE District

March 16, 2026/ Brian Zucker

More than a decade after opening The Bends in what was then a quiet corner of St. Pete’s EDGE District, local hospitality operator Matt Kaye is preparing to debut his most personal project yet just a few feet away.

Easy Tiger, a hi-fi listening lounge and cocktail bar opening next month at 915 1st Avenue North, will pair vinyl DJ sets and high-fidelity sound with a globally inspired cocktail program.

The roughly 1,600-square-foot space sits along the same block as The Bends and represents the latest concept from Kaye, his wife Victoria Kaye, and partners Chris Stone and Craig Dragoonis.

Kaye is also behind Wild Child, a neighborhood bistro and cocktail bar, and Slim Charmer, a martini bar with Mediterranean small plates, both located in the Grand Central District.

Inside, Easy Tiger was designed to function less like a traditional bar and more like a listening lounge, where music plays a central role in shaping the experience.

The space features a carefully tuned hi-fi audio system built around Klipsch Heritage speakers paired with McIntosh amplification, allowing vinyl DJ sets to fill the room with warm, immersive sound without overpowering conversation.

March 13, 2026

The Green Thumb Festival, St. Pete’s annual Arbor Day celebration, returns next month

March 13, 2026/ Kyla Fields

St. Petersburg’s annual celebration of nature, gardening, and environmental education will return next month for its 40th installment.

The Green Thumb Festival will take place at Walter Fuller Park, 7891 26th Avenue North, on Saturday, April 25th and Sunday, April 26th from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day.

The weekend-long event is free and open to the public.

Hosted by the City of St. Petersburg’s Parks and Recreation Department, the two-day festival is the city’s official Arbor Day celebration and one of the largest gardening events in the Tampa Bay area.

More than 120 garden and plant vendors will participate in the event, offering everything from native plants and tropical flowers to trees, herbs, and landscaping supplies.

The festival also features environmental exhibits, educational workshops, and hands-on activities focused on gardening and sustainability.

March 12, 2026

Hurricane Eddie’s reopens in Gulfport today after 16-month closure from hurricane damage

March 12, 2026/ Kyla Fields

After more than a year of repairs and rebuilding, a well-known Gulfport bar is ready to welcome guests again.

Hurricane Eddie’s, located at 5413 Shore Boulevard South along Gulfport’s waterfront strip, will reopen its doors today, Thursday, March 12th at 11 a.m., marking its first day of operation since late 2024.

The popular neighborhood bar, along with nearly every business in downtown Gulfport, was forced to close after Hurricane Helene swept through the Gulf Coast in September 2024, bringing storm surge that caused extensive flooding and water damage throughout Gulfport and nearby communities.

The storm flooded Hurricane Eddie’s nearly century-old building, forcing the business to shut down for a lengthy restoration process.

Now, 16 months later, the bar has undergone a full interior rebuild. The space features brand new walls, floors, ceilings, and restrooms.

March 11, 2026

New bookstore Pages and Perks opening this summer near Roser Park in south St. Pete

March 11, 2026/ Kyla Fields

A new bookstore called Pages and Perks is preparing to open at 914 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Street South near Historic Roser Park and the St. Petersburg Innovation District.

The 1,600-square-foot space is currently under renovation and owner Kate Johnson tells St. Pete Rising that Pages and Perks is slated to open this summer.

“People need a place to escape in a world that is stressful and very screen heavy, and we want to provide a space where people can escape through their story of choice,” Johnson said.

Pages and Perks will carry books across a range of genres, with a focus on fiction and works by local authors.

Inside, a lounge area will welcome readers of all ages. Parents can enjoy beer, wine, or mocktails at a six-seat bar while children spend time in a kid-friendly section of the store.

Bottled mocktails will be provided by Curious Elixirs, which incorporates ingredients such as adaptogens, herbs, and mushrooms into its nonalcoholic beverages.

Johnson says the bookstore is designed as a flexible gathering space that will host book clubs, game nights, book signings, local author events, poetry readings, and meetups for games like Dungeons and Dragons and Magic: The Gathering.

March 11, 2026

Nah Dogs vegan hot dog cart opening permanent storefront in the Grand Central District

March 11, 2026/ Brian Zucker

A popular vegan concept that began as a roaming cart is preparing to open its first permanent location in the Grand Central District.

Nah Dogs, known as St. Pete’s only 100% vegan hot dog cart, will open its first brick-and-mortar at 18 22nd Street South this summer.

The space was most recently home to Rabbit Rabbit, a short-lived cafe that served coffee, smoothies, and mocktails. Before that, it was occupied by Squeeze Juice Works.

The new location shares a courtyard with Black Crow Coffee and Tombolo Books.

Nah Dogs began slinging vegan glizzys in 2019 and has since appeared at markets, festivals, and pop-ups throughout the Tampa Bay area.

March 10, 2026

Naked Farmer sets reopening date for flagship restaurant in downtown St. Pete

March 10, 2026/ Kyla Fields

A popular farm-to-table restaurant with local roots is returning to downtown St. Pete.

After a nine-month closure for renovations, Naked Farmer will reopen its flagship restaurant at 200 Central Avenue on Friday, March 27th.

The restaurant temporarily closed last July to complete a $1.5 million renovation designed to expand the kitchen and improve the overall guest experience.

The project included a roughly 400-square-foot kitchen expansion, a new exhaust system, and a refreshed interior aesthetic.

The upgrades are intended to help the restaurant keep pace with demand in downtown St. Pete, where Naked Farmer first launched six years ago.

Founded by CEO Jordan Johnson, Naked Farmer focuses on locally sourced, seasonal ingredients prepared from scratch.

March 10, 2026

Construction begins on Medina 405 private social club at the historic Snell Arcade in St. Pete

March 10, 2026/ Kyla Fields

Construction has officially begun on Medina 405, a members-only social club planned for the basement of the historic Snell Arcade in downtown St. Pete.

With construction permits approved by the City of St. Pete, interior buildout is now underway on the 9,240-square-foot space at 405 Central Avenue, with the club expected to open in late 2026.

Medina 405 is being developed by former Major League Baseball player and entrepreneur Robin Jennings, who also operates the private club Waterworks in Sarasota.

Jennings and his partners purchased the basement level of the Snell Arcade last year for $3.2 million.

The club will serve as a private gathering place for St. Petersburg’s business, civic, and creative communities inside one of downtown’s most recognizable historic buildings.

March 09, 2026

La Dolce Vita Trattoria brings authentic Italian fare to the Grand Central District

March 09, 2026/ Kyla Fields

An authentic Italian eatery with several outposts in Pinellas County has opened a new restaurant on Central Avenue in St. Pete.

Local Italian restaurant La Dolce Vita Trattoria, which has locations in Clearwater, Palm Harbor, and St. Pete Beach, is welcoming customers to its newest restaurant at 2363 Central Avenue in the Grand Central District.

Last week, La Dolce Vita Trattoria took over the space previously occupied by Matteo Trattoria & Pizzeria, adjacent to the popular club Cocktail. The new Italian restaurant quietly opened its doors on March 4.

At La Dolce Vita Trattoria’s new St. Pete location, guests can start their meals with one of the restaurant’s many salads or antipasto dishes, including carpaccio, sautéed mussels, burrata, roasted octopus, fried calamari, and bruschetta.

At the new St. Pete location, guests can start their meals with one of the restaurant’s many salads or antipasto dishes, including beef carpaccio, sautéed mussels, burrata, roasted octopus, fried calamari, and bruschetta.

The restaurant also offers a range of pastas, including classic dishes such as lasagna, bolognese, cacio e pepe, carbonara, and pasta e fagioli, made with white beans, tomato sauce, white wine, cherry tomatoes, and pesto.

March 06, 2026

Foxtail Coffee Co. and 3Natives Acai Cafe to open in the Skyway Marina District

March 06, 2026/ Veronica Brezina

New retailers are set to join the growing Skyway Marina District as part of a large mixed-use development.

Foxtail Coffee Co., Solis Mammography, and 3Natives Acai Cafe will open in a new retail building along 34th Street South.

The 4,500-square-foot retail building is located on an outparcel fronting the newly-opened 23,000-square-foot Sprouts Farmers Market at 3411 32nd Avenue South.

Developer Frank Guerra of Altis Cardinal broke ground on the retail building in 2025 as part of the $800 million Sky Town development.

The 34.3-acre site, formerly home to the Ceridian office campus, is being redeveloped into a mixed-use community that will include 2,084 apartments, 69,000 square feet of retail, and 120,000 square feet of self-storage.

Vertical construction on the first apartment building at Sky Town began in September 2025.