The historic bungalow at 2955 central avenue, formerly the craftsman house gallery | St. Pete Arts Alliance

The former Craftsman House Gallery, housed in a historic 1918 bungalow in the Grand Central District, will become Karma Kitchen and Bakery—a new concept from the owner of Karma Juice Bar & Eatery.

The reimagined property at 2955 Central Avenue will feature an indoor dining space, an outdoor edible garden, a bakery, and an expanded food and beverage program when it makes its debut in July.

For over a decade, Karma Juice Bar & Eatery has been a familiar name in St. Petersburg, known for its cold-pressed juices and health-focused offerings.

The new Central Avenue location will mark the brand’s third local outpost, joining existing Karma locations at 1804 4th Street North in St. Pete and 2095 Drew Street in Clearwater.

Owner of Karma Josie Barber (right), alongside her business partners Robert Roberts and Longtime Karma employee Ashley Stover (left) who will oversee the bakery | Karma Juice Bar & Eatery

The Craftsman House Gallery, which closed late last year, had operated since the early 2000s as an art gallery, gift shop, music venue and café under longtime owner Jeff Schorr.

On January 5th, he sold the property to Karma owner Josie Barber and real estate investor Robert “Bob” Roberts.

“This is the first time I will own a property for Karma, ensuring our future for years to come,” Barber said in an interview with St. Pete Rising. Longtime Karma employee Ashley Stover will run the store.

Barber’s business partner Roberts is largely recognized for his restoration of historic St. Pete landmarks and buildings, including The Snell Arcade, The Alexander Hotel, Jannus Landing, and The Kress Building.

The Craftsman House Gallery showcased artwork from over 300 local and national artists | wheree.com

Roberts plans to turn the courtyard into a lush rose garden, which will also contain a variety of herbs that will be incorporated in Karma’s dishes. Together, the courtyard and indoor dining area will accommodate up to 200 people.

The location represents a new chapter of growth and resiliency for Karma, which was dreamt up by Barber and her daughter, April Lupkey, over a decade ago.

In 2014, the mother-daughter duo opened their first juice bar and acai shop in downtown St. Pete. Since then, Karma has weathered a fire, multiple relocations, and most recently, the loss of its location in the Tampa Bay Times building following a crane collapse tied to Hurricane Milton in 2024.

“The crane collapse event left a gap in downtown where our customers relied on us,” Barber said. “While we are keeping the main Karma name in the new space, we will have some twists.”

The front porch of the historic 1918 bungalow | st. pete rising

The existing menu at Karma is vast, offering numerous juices and healthy entrees.

Dishes range from Savory Toast topped with avocado, eggs, pickled red onion, sprouts, everything bagel seasoning and olive oil to build-your-own acai bowls, salads made with house-made croutons and dressings, soups and handhelds like the Cranberry Chicken Salad Sandwich.

“We will condense the menu. Instead of having six or seven sandwiches and salads, we may have three main salads and sandwiches,” Barber says, explaining that the new eatery also represents an opportunity to embrace her Filipino heritage.

For dinner service, Karma’s menu will incorporate several authentic Filipino plates like kare-kare, a hearty oxtail and vegetable stew with a savory peanut-based sauce.

A selection of Karma Juice Bar & Eatery’s wraps, sandwiches, salads, and other items will be available at karm kitchen and bakery | Facebook

Diners will be able to snack on small plates of fermented fruits and vegetables before indulging in heartier main dishes.

While new items will be introduced, Barber says Karma remains committed to its core founding—providing fresh cold-press juices.

“There will be a bar serving all of our cold-press drinks and cocktails, mocktails, and sake; although, we are first and foremost a juice bar,” she said. A beer, wine and liquor license for Karma’s new location is also in the works.

Additionally, the kiln used to fire up pottery will be converted into an oven for sourdough breads and Filipino desserts.

An acai Bowl from Karma’s menu | Instagram

“By supporting our employees, we hope to continue to help them grow in their own careers, and this is one example of how it’s possible,” said Barber, highlighting Stover’s career progression to manage the daily operations at the new cafe.

Barber said both she and Stover plan to attend training at the King Arthur Baking Company’s baking school in Vermont.

Coffee service will be provided by Lucky Cup Coffee Co., founded by Barber’s daughter, April Lupkey, who also operates a shop inside of the Galaxy Hotel in downtown St. Pete.

“In the morning, we can invite the neighborhood to come in and enjoy baked goods and coffee,” Barber said. “I just want the community to have a place to go.”

Karma Kitchen and Bakery is expected to open at 7 a.m. seven days a week, serving breakfast and lunch before transitioning into dinner service in the evening.

Be sure to follow Karma on Facebook and Instagram for the grand opening details and future announcements.