Philadelphia-born-and-raised chef and restaurant operator Sean Ford, alongside prominent local business owner Renaud Cowez, is bringing the taste of Philly to downtown St. Petersburg.

The partners are planning to open a new Philly cheesesteak restaurant - Little Philly - in the Grand Central District at 2063 Central Avenue, which formerly housed The Job Site Burgers.

"Growing up in Philly, I always felt safe and welcomed in the small sandwich shops,” Ford said. “They knew your name and treated you like family. I want to replicate that kind of feeling here in St. Pete.”

"This whole Grand Central neighborhood is buzzing and reminds me of when we opened Tryst on Beach Drive in 2011," said Ford, who moved to St. Pete over a decade ago to launch the high-end restaurant and lounge with Cowez.

In 2019, he also worked with Cowez to open Tropez, a tapas bar and craft cocktail destination on the 400 block of Central Avenue.

Ford will run the kitchen at Little Philly as head chef when the sandwich shop opens later this month.

When asked about the secret behind perfecting the Philly cheesesteak, Ford admits, "It's all about the bread. It needs to be so light and airy but dense enough to hold the juice and steak."

The type of cheese is also integral to a great cheesesteak and Philly residents are famously split between provolone, American, or Cheez Whiz. Little Philly will offer all cheese options, including Ford's homemade Cheez Whiz.

Little Philly will also offer vegetarian cheesesteaks made with mixed mushrooms.

In addition to the traditional Philly cheesesteak, Little Philly will offer marinated chicken cheesesteaks, Italian hoagies, hot dogs, chicken tenders, cheeseburgers, chicken cutlet sandwiches, and tuna and egg salad sandwiches.

Philly-style Italian pork sandwiches will be available on the weekends.

Sides such as fries, chips, macaroni and potato salads, and Philly-sourced wines, beers, and sodas will also be served.

For dessert, Little Philly plans to serve an authentic house-made “water ice” – Philly’s version of an Italian ice.

As for pricing, the hoagies and subs will be at the lower price end so families can enjoy the subs without stretching their wallets, Ford said.

"We want everyone to visit. This is a very niche business. With many people from Philly living in Tampa Bay, we think that can organically support us," added Ford.

Little Philly will be open every day from 11 a.m. to around 8 p.m.

The initial hours are subject to change as Ford said they will eventually open for breakfast and plan to stay open later in the evening.  

The owners will also take advantage of the bike share station in front of the restaurant by offering sandwich deliveries to the nearby breweries.

"There aren't that many places open late at night, and we want to just focus on quick takeout," Ford said. "This will complement the block and give people more options."

Little Philly is expected to open in the next few weeks.