Intermezzo Coffee and Cocktails to relocate by end of year
/INTERMEZZO COFFEE & COCKTAILS WILL BE RELOCATING TO 1049 CENTRAL AVENUE, FORMERLY HOME TO INDEPENDENT BAR, BY THE END OF THE YEAR | ST PETE RISING
Intermezzo Coffee & Cocktails, located at 1111 Central Avenue in the heart of downtown St. Petersburg’s EDGE District, will be on the move by the end of the year.
Owner Jarrett Sabatini recently signed a lease for 1049 Central Avenue, which had previously been the home of the Independent Bar. The move will situate Intermezzo, which opened in 2016, less than 350 feet to the east, but in an interview with St. Pete Rising, Sabatini said the new digs will also allow the popular coffee and cocktail bar to clear up some uncertainty about its future, because the building in which it’s currently located is likely to be razed to make way for a proposed hotel.
"I always knew my time at 1111 Central Avenue was limited,” Sabatini said of the move. “We started as a pop-up to begin with, I didn't expect to stay for more than three months, so I'm grateful I was able to stay for six years."
OWNER OF INTERMEZZO, JARRETT SABATINI | SUNNY COLLABS
The new and improved Intermezzo will also include the adjacent corner lot, which Sabatini hopes to transform into an outdoor patio with Florida-Mediterranean vibes, similar to the outdoor area at their current location. The new patio is likely to include a separate outdoor bar as well.
Sabatini would like to utilize the outdoor space for live music and lounge seating, especially on weekends. It might also have a separate entrance that would allow Intermezzo to rent out the area for private parties and events. But don’t expect any dramatic changes to the establishment’s signature vibe.
“It will feel like an outdoor Intermezzo,” he said. “And allow us to expand on what people know and love about us: our signature drinks and an environment that's both elegant and hospitable.”
The interior will be more spacious too. Intermezzo’s current home is about 1,400 square feet, but the new location will provide around 1,600 square feet inside in addition to the 1,700-square-foot patio.
A wide range of spirits — bourbon, rye, scotch, tequila, mezcal, gin, rum, and cachaca — are available, as are the cocktails from the daytime menu plus traditional favorites such as Moscow Mule and Old Fashioned | SUNNY COLLABS
“This move will allow us to further achieve our mission of hospitality. The St. Pete of today not only wants unique and local concepts, but also demands quality and service, something we prioritize,” said Sabatini. “Customers are sophisticated now more than ever. We have always chosen to champion good design, authenticity, and quality, and this location will allow us to double-down on that.”
The beverage menu at Intermezzo is currently divided into day and night versions. Both the daytime and nighttime menus are rife with coffee options, of course, including drip coffee, espresso, macchiato, cappuccino, caffe latte, cold brew coffee, and Kyoto, a Japanese-style slow-drip coffee. Cocktails are also available during daytime hours with a menu that focuses on spritz and highball-style offerings that are befitting for day drinking, along with a section of coffee cocktails.
At night, Intermezzo offers a selection of coffee cocktails such as Branca Brew, Caffe Mezzo, and Café Mexicana, as well as beer, wine, and non-alcoholic cocktails. A wide range of spirits — bourbon, rye, scotch, tequila, mezcal, gin, rum, and cachaca — are also available, as are the cocktails from the daytime menu plus traditional favorites such as Moscow Mule and Old Fashioned.
Both the daytime and nighttime menus are rife with coffee options, of course, including drip coffee, espresso, macchiato, cappuccino, caffe latte, cold brew coffee, and Kyoto, a Japanese-style slow-drip coffee | SUNNY COLLABS
Sabatini says he plans to “double down on the bar component, the nightlife component. We are addressing our main issue which is wait times during peak hours. I will have a larger bar at the new space, which will allow us to get drinks in the hands of our customers quicker than ever.”
“We have a lot of demand for our cocktail program,” Sabatini continued. “So I decided to make that a top priority. People are willing to go out of their way for attention to detail and craft."
And lastly, for those curious how the move will affect the future of Intermezzo’s wildly popular annual Christmas event, Miracle at Mezzo – worry not. Sabatini confirmed the event will continue at the new location.
