Construction begins on three-story food hall Central Park in downtown St. Pete
/Central Park Food Hall will be located at 551 Central Avenue, formerly occupied by The Dome Grill.
A construction fence was erected last week around the perimeter of the former Dome Grill located at 551 Central Avenue in downtown St. Pete. This morning, a ceremonial groundbreaking was held to kick off construction on Central Park St. Pete, a one-of-a-kind three-story food hall slated to open by the end of next year.
In addition to three floors of culinary experiences, a basement will be excavated under the former Woolworth’s building for a high-end speakeasy bar.
The ground floor will contain a large bar and a food court with a variety of different cuisines. Although no specific concepts have been announced, Natalia Levey, Owner of Central Park, promises to offer a mix of health-conscious options and international flavors.
“We hope this food hall will become the central hub for international culinary experiences, delicious celebrations, and create lots of jobs and opportunities in the community,” says Levey.
A conceptual rendering of Central Park shows culinary experiences on three levels, including a rooftop restaurant and bar.
The rooftop at Central Park will feature a full-service restaurant and bar complete with a small park and leisure area overlooking Central Avenue. The third floor will also contain private event space.
In May, St. Pete Rising announced the rooftop concept will be called Kojo, an Asian-inspired eatery. This will be Kojo’s second location. In February, Levey opened the first location in downtown Sarasota to rave reviews.
Kojo will feature flavors from China, Japan, Taiwan and Korea with a touch of European flair. Although the menu will include familiar favorites, such as gyoza and sushi, Kojo will stand out through the ambitious and unexpected dishes, such as Udon Carbonara, Miso Black Cod, and Tea Smoked Chicken.
The second floor will feature another existing restaurant concept owned by Levey, the award-winning Speaks Clam Bar. Speaks will feature fun, Prohibition-style decor and offer classic Italian entrees, seafood dishes, and cocktails. This will be Speaks third location on the Gulf Coast. Its other locations are in Lakewood Ranch and Sarasota.
The team behind Central Park Food Hall at a ceremonial groundbreaking on Monday Morning
St. Pete-based Behar + Peteranecz has been hired as the project’s architect and Barr & Barr will be managing construction. Invision Advisors and SSA have also been retained as consultants.
Now that construction has commenced, Central Park is targeting an end of 2022 debut.
Follow Central Park Food Hall on Facebook and Instagram to stay up to date on progress towards their grand opening.
