Beloved Kissin’ Cuzzins restaurant to live on after pending sale to employee
/Kissin’ Cuzzins opened on 34th STreet in St. petersburg in 1961. Although in its heyday, there were 8-9 Kissin’ Cuzzins locations around Florida, the 34th Street spot is the first and last.
Like the El Cap hamburger joint on 4th Street North, Kissin’ Cuzzins, another venerable St. Petersburg restaurant, recently faced an existential crisis but has been saved from the wrecking ball.
Located at 951 34th Street North, the diner was listed for sale last August. However, instead of selling the business and the land it sits on, owner Gerry Rice, who started working at Kissin’ Cuzzins more than 50 years ago, at age 11, has agreed to sell the business to Rick Campbell, the eatery’s longtime manager.
In an interview with St. Pete Rising, Rice says he turned down offers from developers who just wanted the land occupied by Kissin’ Cuzzins and didn’t care about keeping the restaurant open. Campbell didn’t have sufficient funds — the sale price was listed as $2.5 million — to buy the land and business outright, so Rice will maintain ownership of the property.
He stresses, however, that the deal is not set in stone: Negotiations had to be paused while Campbell recovers from hip surgery.
Kissin’ Cuzzins has built a reputation as St. Pete’s best homestyle eats for breakfast & brunch
“I might have to swing this a few different ways,” Rice says. “I’m not going to say exactly how it’s going to be done, but he’s going to be the man. I’ll just be the landlord. That will be the only change.”
That should come as welcome news to Kissin’ Cuzzins customers and its 32 employees.
“People like seeing the same faces,” Rice says. “They like seeing the same staff. They don’t like surprises. They like it when maybe they’ve been out of town for a while, but then walk into your place and it’s just the same.”
Kissin’ Cuzzins, founded by Rice’s parents, has been in business for more than 60 years, and Rice credits a few simple qualities for the restaurant’s resiliency.
For starters, it’s a one-shift restaurant, operating only from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., and Rice says that’s made staffing much easier. “It’s a good shift to work for the help,” he says.
The hostess stand at Kissin’ Cuzzins sits in front of a wall adorned with the iconic “kissin’ cuzzins” couple in addition to photos from rice’s fishing trips
The restaurant’s limited hours of operation have also made it easier to absorb rising food costs, although Rice has had to raise prices a couple of times since the pandemic hit.
“I feel bad about doing it, but you’ve got to do it,” he says. “The numbers gotta be what they gotta be.”
Customers, Rice says, don’t seem to mind paying a bit more for the diner’s delicious lineup of omelets, pancakes, eggs benedict, breakfast sandwiches, French toast, waffles, and other breakfast/brunch staples.
“Business has been great,” he says, “After COVID, 2021 was probably our best year ever; ’22 has kind of sucked because of price increases, but now that’s getting better.”
Rice says he felt no pressure to cash out and sell to a developer because he’s always been frugal and focused on saving money. He and Campbell usually handled repairs to the property instead of paying handymen and contractors.
The kissin’ Cuzzins menu features a delicious lineup of omelets, pancakes, eggs benedict, breakfast sandwiches, French toast, waffles, and other breakfast/brunch staples
“I’m set pretty good,” he says. “Instead of paying 20% capital gains tax on the land, it’s probably one of the smartest moves I can make — you know, just collect the rent and hold it for another 10-15 years, maybe pass it down to my son, who knows?”
For now, though, the future of Kissin’ Cuzzins is safe, and another piece of St. Pete’s history lives on.
As for Rice, don’t expect him to be hanging around the restaurant as a hands-on landlord.
“I’ve had enough,” he says. “I’ve worked here since I was 11 years old. I’ll have no problem just relaxing.”
