May 07, 2025

Here are the first renderings of Forbici Modern Italian coming to Sundial in downtown St. Pete

May 07, 2025/ Veronica Brezina

In February, Tampa Bay restauranteur Jeff Gigante announced his popular modern Italian restaurant Forbici would take over the 12,000-square-foot Sea Salt space at Sundial in downtown St. Pete. And now we have a closer look of what the restaurant will be like.

The restaurant originally planned to move into the ground-floor space previously occupied by Locale Market but shifted its plans to the second floor space at 183 2nd Avenue North following Sea Salt’s closure on December 31st.

Forbici is part of Next Level Brands, a Tampa-based restaurant group founded by restaurateur Jeff Gigante, real estate investor Andrew Wright, and attorney Joseph Guggino.

Expected to open by year’s end, renderings reveal that the 350-seat St. Pete location will mirror the flagship Forbici in South Tampa’s Hyde Park, which opened in 2019, but with a more refined and upscale twist.

February 25, 2025

Forbici Modern Italian to take over Sea Salt space at Sundial in downtown St. Pete

February 25, 2025/ Veronica Brezina

Forbici Modern Italian, one of Tampa’s most celebrated Italian restaurants, is set to open a new location in downtown St. Pete’s Sundial shopping complex.

Initially, Forbici was expected to occupy the ground-floor space previously home to Locale Market. However, the restaurant will now take over the 12,000-square-foot second-floor space formerly occupied by Sea Salt, which closed on December 31st, at 183 2nd Avenue North.

An official opening date has not yet been announced. Before welcoming guests, Forbici will renovate the space, though specific improvements are unknown.

November 06, 2024

Upscale seafood restaurant Sea Salt to close after nearly a decade in downtown St. Pete

November 06, 2024/ Veronica Brezina

Downtown St. Pete staple Sea Salt, an upscale Venetian-inspired seafood restaurant, will permanently close by the end of the year after nearly a decade in business.

Located at 183 2nd Avenue North in the Sundial shopping plaza, the restaurant will serve its last meal on December 31st, according to an announcement from the owners and husband-and-wife Ingrid Aielli and Chef Fabrizio Aielli.

The owners of Sundial are not wasting any time filling the soon-to-be empty space. In a conversation with St. Pete Rising, a representative from Paradise Ventures hinted that discussions are ongoing with a replacement tenant for the Sea Salt space and stated, “good things are in the works.”

As for Sea Salt, the owners sent out an email to their customers stating, “The past 10 years have been nothing short of amazing.”

February 02, 2023

Sundial to undergo major renovations in downtown St. Pete

February 02, 2023/ Brian Zucker

Nearly a year after purchasing the Sundial retail and dining center at 153 2nd Avenue North in downtown St. Pete for $21.13 million, St. Petersburg-based Paradise Ventures and Tampa-based Ally Capital Group have unveiled a plan to renovate a portion of the 85,357-square-foot plaza.

Designed by Behar and Peteranecz, a St. Petersburg-based architecture firm, the reimagined Sundial will feature multimillion dollars in improvements intended to revitalize the once upscale retail destination into a modern mixed-use urban destination.

The most significant change will be a complete overhaul and activation of the plaza’s courtyard. Plans call for an updated courtyard with a large outdoor bar and plenty of communal green space for engaging programming and for guests to sit and enjoy food and drink.

August 14, 2014

Sundial Releases Tenant Lineup

August 14, 2014/ Anthony Close

Last week Sundial released its tenant lineup and announced it was 90% leased. I've given the store lineup a few days to sink in and I must say that while I'm not taken aback by the stores, I am impressed. In today's retail market it takes a lot for a brand to risk opening a store, let alone in a previously failed downtown retail center.

While there isn't a famed J.Crew or an Apple store, what we got is a very diverse mix of national and local retailers, which I think is great.

March 18, 2014

Sundial St.Pete Releases Few Details

March 18, 2014/ Anthony Close

One of the biggest mysteries surrounding Sundial St.Pete is whether or not its tenant lineup will create a shopping and dining destination. In its heyday, Baywalk was a booming shopping center with bustling shops and restaurants but controversy sunk the retail complex and brought vacancy rates close to 90%. Sundial St.Pete hopes revive the shopping center and give it new glory. I'm confident that Bill Edwards will bring a strong tenant list to- once again- make the complex a top destination. Recently the Tampa Bay Times revealed that a Marilyn Monroe spa and possibly a Ruth's Chris Steak House will be among the tenants in Sundial. Joining these two tenants are the return of Chico's and White House Black Market.

March 12, 2014

Downtown St. Pete Development Update: March 2014

March 12, 2014/ Anthony Close

The future of Downtown St Pete is big and bright. Construction has been rampant so far in 2014. Read more to get the latest construction updates!

February 19, 2014

From Baywalk to Sundial

February 19, 2014/ Anthony Close

The shopping center formerly known as Baywalk which was renamed to The Shops at St.Pete now has a new name: Sundial. The plaza is currently undergoing a $40 million renovation and is set to open in the spring. Sundial St.Pete has released a website touting itself as: