Owners of Noble Crust to open Noble Tavern Off the Farm in downtown St. Pete
/Noble Tavern is expected to open in mid-2023 inside the Tru by Hilton hotel at 1650 Central Avenue in the Grand Central District.
One of north St. Pete’s most popular and well-known restaurants, Noble Crust, has plans to open a new farm-to-table concept in downtown St. Pete. Noble Tavern Off the Farm is slated to debut in mid-2023 inside the recently completed Tru by Hilton hotel at 1650 Central Avenue in the Grand Central District.
The new restaurant is a joint venture between Noble Crust owners Jeff Strouse, Tj Thielbar, Tim Curci, and Chris Sweeney and the developer of the Tru by Hilton, Anthony Menna, President and Owner of Menna Development.
"We're extremely excited to create a new concept with this partnership,” stated Tj Thielbar, Co-owner of Noble Crust and Noble Tavern. “None of this would be possible if it wasn't for our hardworking and dedicated team members. We're eager to become a part of the Grand Central District and downtown St. Pete community."
Noble Tavern will be a polished casual craft cocktail bar with creative culinary dishes that takes the atmosphere of a traditional Old World tavern and wraps it into a modern design. It will be the third concept for Off The Cuff Concepts, which also includes Noble Crust and Fat Beet Farm Kitchen & Bakery, an expansive farm, market, and bakery in Oldsmar.
Founders of Noble Crust and Noble Tavern Off The Farm. From left to right, Tj Thielbar, Tim Curci, and Jeff Strouse.
The restaurant will occupy 3,800 square feet on the ground floor of the Tru by Hilton hotel with a sprawling patio fronting Central Avenue providing a beautiful al fresco dining experience.
“I spent a lot of time in downtown St. Pete back in 2015 when we were planning our first Noble Crust,” said Theilbar. “Back then, the weekends were great, but we didn’t really see the weekday traffic. Now the whole landscape has changed.”
With TVs scattered throughout the restaurant and an incredible sound system, Noble Tavern will be a great place to catch the Rays, Bucs, and Bolts in their next run for the playoffs. And when a big game isn’t on, the tavern will host live music and entertainment.
Noble Tavern will feature an exciting list of classic and craft cocktails, craft beer and barrel fresh wines. After all, you can’t have a tavern without incredible drinks! The team has hired a mixologist from Chicago to helm the restaurant’s drink program.
Noble Tavern will feature an exciting list of classic and craft cocktails, craft beer and barrel fresh wines.
The cuisine at Noble Tavern will be a blend of the locally sourced farm fresh flavors of Fat Beet Farm with the small plates and well-known southern hospitality of Noble Crust.
This isn’t the first culinary venture for the Noble Tavern team. Each member of the ownership group has extensive experience in the food industry. Tim Curci previously served as senior vice president of operations for Hops Restaurant Bar & Brewery. Later, he went on to found Bonefish Grill.
Tj Thielbar was also a founding member of Bonefish Grill and a former National Culinary Supervisor for Hops Grill and Bar.
In 2013, Tim and his wife, Jen, bought a ragged piece of coastal Florida land with the goal to build a sustainable farm in the heart of Tampa Bay. The idea was to feed people food with integrity, in a beautiful setting, and show everyone how to eat well without destroying the land it’s grown in.
And thus, Fat Beet Farm was born.
Fat Beet Farm is a coastal farm dedicated to sustainability, education, and restoring the farm-to-fork connection. The farm will supply a large amount of food to Noble Tavern.
The 12-acre sustainable farm produces a wide variety of vegetables, flowers, and herbs, and fruits. The mission is to feed people food with integrity, in a beautiful setting, and show everyone how to eat well without destroying the land it’s grown in.
The farm, which will supply a large amount of food to Noble Tavern, also includes a tilapia farm, a chicken coop, a bee sanctuary, and a 3,000 square foot grow house where up to 2,200 heads of lettuce is harvested per week.
In 2015, the Noble Crust team introduced St. Pete to Deep South Italian cuisine with the launch of Noble Crust. Located at the intersection of 4th Street and 83rd Avenue North, the casual eatery continues to receive rave reviews for their selection of salads, Italian entrees, and pizza.
The 12-acre Fat Beet Farm is also home to a restaurant and bakery. A large event space is also used to host wedding receptions.
Fast forward to today, the group is thrilled to embark on their next adventure—Noble Tavern Off the Farm. Whether you are looking to grab a cocktail before dinner or listen to incredible live music after a delicious meal, Noble Tavern will have what you’re looking for.
"Menna Development is thrilled to partner with Noble Crust and Fat Beet Farm in bringing the exciting Noble Tavern Off The Farm restaurant concept to the ground floor of our beautiful Tru by Hilton Hotel,” stated Ian Larson, Senior Vice President of MDM. Inc. “This stylish and unique food and bar venue will be a dynamic new addition for the Grand Central District, the guests of the hotel, and downtown St. Pete in general."
Noble Tavern is expected to open in mid-2023 inside the Tru by Hilton hotel at 1650 Central Avenue in the Grand Central District. Be sure to follow them on Facebook and Instagram to stay up to date on grand opening plans.
