Green Light Lounge and Kitchen is slated to open this month next to Green Light Cinema in downtown St. Pete | St. Pete Rising

Green Light Cinema, St. Pete’s only independent art house theater, is expanding by opening a restaurant and bar next door.

Owners Mike and Sue Hazlett are converting the neighboring space at 225 2nd Avenue North into Green Light Lounge and Kitchen, a 3,300-square-foot venue where guests can grab a bite, have a drink, and enjoy live entertainment before or after catching a film.

The space was previously home to Main Grove and before that Hops 2.0.

“People often leave a screening asking where they should go next,” Hazlett explains. “Now, the answer is right next door. You can come early, have dinner or a drink, see a show, and not spend a fortune.”

The expansion builds on the Hazletts’ vision for Green Light Cinema, which they opened in 2020 to fill what they saw as a gap in downtown St. Pete’s cultural offerings.

The new 100-seat restaurant and bar is furnished with green-leather chairs, cozy booth seating, movie posters on the walls, and studio lights hanging from the ceiling | St pete Rising

The 80-seat theater has since become the go-to spot for independent, foreign, and documentary films, while also hosting festivals, filmmaker Q&As, and acting classes.

“It’s become a genuine gathering place, where conversation, creativity, and a shared love of film come together,” said Joe Restaino, Founder of Hungry Bull Productions and Partner at Green Light Cinema.

“From the start, we wanted Green Light to be more than just a movie theater,” says Mike Hazlett. “Cinema is an art form. It’s about sharing stories, ideas, and cultures you might not otherwise encounter. But to keep that going today, we also have to get creative.”

One example of that creativity is Station 12 Studio, an acting school located inside Green Light and led by local actress and coach Eugenie Bondurant, which now trains more than 500 students each year.

Owners of Green Light Cinema in downtown st. Pete, Mike and Sue Hazlett | Green Light Cinema

As for the new Green Light Lounge and Kitchen, it will be a casual sit-down restaurant and bar serving Argentinian-inspired empanadas, smash burgers, sandwiches, salads, small bites, and dessert.

The bar will feature 16 beers on tap, an extensive wine selection, and nonalcoholic options like kombucha, espresso, and prosecco.

The 100-seat space is furnished with green-leather chairs, cozy booth seating, movie posters on the walls, and studio lights hanging from the ceiling.

Cult classics will play quietly on a TV above the bar.

More than just a pre-show hangout though, Green Light Lounge and Kitchen will also serve as an event venue.

With a small stage and open layout, the space will host live music, comedy, improv, and film talk-backs.

The bar will feature 16 beers on tap, an extensive wine selection, and nonalcoholic options | St Pete Rising

Additionally, the new space can be used to host private events.

“We get calls all the time from people wanting to host events at the theater,” says Hazlett. “But right now, we’d have to shut down screenings to accommodate them. This gives us the flexibility to grow.”

Green Light’s expansion comes at a time when independent cinemas are reinventing themselves to survive an ever-changing industry.

“About 30 percent of the movie-going audience is gone and it’s not coming back,” Hazlett says. “We’re like bookstores 15 years ago. You can’t just sell books anymore, you have to offer an experience.”

With more than 20,000 visitors passing through Green Light Cinema last year, the new addition promises to keep that momentum going.

With a small stage and open layout, the space will host live music, comedy, improv, and film talk-backs | St Pete Rising

“The best thing we’ve done is build a strong relationship with the community,” Hazlett says. “This is about expanding that experience and making Green Light a place to see a film, share a meal, and support a local business.”

Green Light Lounge and Kitchen is expected to open later this month.

For updates on the latest showings and upcoming events, visit Green Light Cinema’s website and follow them on Facebook and Instagram.