A unique event space and gift shop Hostess opens in Grand Central District
/Hostess is now open at 2635 Central Avenue in the Grand Central District of downtown St. Pete. The space was formerly home to The Bungaleaux on Central, a home furnishings store.
St. Petersburg’s Grand Central District, already full of boutique, independent restaurants, bars, and retail outlets, has attracted another unique business in the form of Hostess, a micro-event space and gift shop set in a 1950s bungalow and created by owners Shelby Pletcher and Michelle Whiting, who cultivated an air of mystery around the establishment prior to its opening this week at 2635 Central Avenue.
“We’ve been very vague about everything thus far,” Pletcher says, “But honestly, it was pretty unintentional. We’ve just been working overtime to get the space ready and didn't have the manpower to devote to marketing. Instead, we decided to soft open first and then launch marketing once images of Hostess were ready.”
Whiting and Pletcher, though, are known quantities. They own a clothing store called Canvas Fashion Gallery that has locations on 4th Street North in St. Pete and in Tampa’s Hyde Park Village. But Hostess, which will offer grab-and-go food, as well as wine and beer, for small gatherings, is a significant departure.
Shelby Pletcher (right) and Michelle Whiting, owners of Hostess in the Grand Central District
“This is a whole different arena for us to enter into,” Pletcher says. “A big part of our business will be events once the space is completely built out and furnished. It really was different from opening a clothing store … it was a little more complex.”
Hostess spans about 2,800 square feet, including the second-story office and storage space. Shoppers will find a selection of home décor for sale, and they’ll be able to drink a glass of vino from the wine bar while they peruse the store’s offerings.
“It will be anything you would bring as a hostess gift,” Pletcher says of the merchandise, “or something you need as a hostess. All the retail centers around that story.”
A painstaking level of attention to detail has gone into the furnishings and décor found at Hostess. For example, the space’s garden bar, which will offer nine distinct wine offerings, was originally the lobby bar from a boutique hotel in Thailand.
Hostess’s event space as an ideal venue for intimate gatherings such as bridal showers, baby showers, and birthday celebrations
Whiting says the wine selection will consist of small-batch, unique varieties “that you can’t find all over town,” such as wines made by female vintners. The beverage menu will also include some beer selections from 3 Daughters Brewing in St. Pete.
“We’re trying to carve out a little niche,” she says. “When you see the space, the images, the content, it’s very women-centric but men are definitely welcome. Everyone is welcome.”
Lolita’s Wine Market, just a few blocks east on Central, will provide catering services for events held at Hostess, as well as a selection of pre-made food.
“There will be some carryout items,” as well, Pletcher says. “You can come in, shop, grab a little bit of bubbly and maybe a chicken salad croissant, go outside, and have lunch.”
Whiting and Pletcher have envisioned Hostess’s event space as an ideal venue for intimate gatherings such as bridal showers, baby showers, and birthday celebrations, but the entire house can be rented for larger events like cocktail parties.
The retail at Hostess offers anything you would bring as a hostess gift or something you’D need as a hostess
“It feels homey and intimate, but it’s also elevated,” Pletcher says, adding that she and Whiting believe Hostess meets “a huge need” in St. Pete, which “doesn’t have a lot of options” for the type of events that their new business intends to draw.
Hostess’s normal retail hours will be 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday. Sunday retail hours will be noon to 5 p.m. Private micro events, however, can be booked for 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. or 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. on both Saturdays and Sundays. Maximum capacity for micro events is 24 but 50 for larger occasions.
The shop will be closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.
Follow Hostess on Instagram at @toastthehostess and visit their website at toastthehostess.com.
