FS8, a Pilates-Yoga hybrid, set to open in the Grand Central District this fall
/A new kind of fitness experience is headed to downtown St. Petersburg.
Later this fall, FS8, a fast-growing brand created by the team behind F45 Training, will open its first Tampa Bay location at 2541 Central Avenue in the Grand Central District.
Behind the project are St. Pete locals Kate Dworsky and Heather Avery, two fitness professionals passionate about helping people reach their goals while building community along the way.
The pair signed their lease in January and have spent the past several months navigating the permitting process.
With approvals in hand, construction is now underway inside the former Lion’s Paw Antiques & Collectables building.
FS8 blends reformer and mat Pilates, yoga, and strength training into 50-minute classes designed to be approachable yet challenging.
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A new café named for one of Pinellas County’s noisiest residents is coming soon to Gulfport.
Nanday Café will open at 3107 Beach Boulevard South, the former home of GulfPerk Coffee Bar. The locally owned café will serve coffee, breakfast, and lunch, according to its website.
GulfPerk remained closed after sustaining extensive damage during Hurricane Helene in late 2024 and announced in July that it would not reopen after three years in business.
The café’s name comes from the loud-mouthed nanday parakeets frequently seen, and heard, around Pinellas County. The green birds have become something of an unofficial mascot of the area.
Native to South America, nanday parakeets first appeared outside captivity in St. Petersburg in 1969.