St. Pete Athletic debuts 20,000-square-foot expansion with padel courts, more pickleball

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St. Pete Athletic debuts 20,000-square-foot expansion with padel courts, more pickleball

A new racquet sport is landing in St. Pete, and it’s bringing a global following with it.

Padel, currently the fastest growing sport in the word, can now be played locally at St. Pete Athletic, located at 680 28th Street South in the Warehouse Arts District.

The addition is part of a nearly 20,000-square-foot expansion of the facility, which opened in December.

The 50,000-square-foot club now features 14 pickleball courts, six professional table tennis tables, and its newly added padel courts.

St. Pete Athletic also offers several on-site food and drink options through Rose’s Dining & Drinks, where both members and non-members can stop in for breakfast, lunch, dinner, coffee, and cocktails.

Padel originated in Mexico in the 1960s and blends elements of tennis and squash. The sport is played on an enclosed court, slightly larger than a pickleball court, where players can use the surrounding walls as part of the game.

It has been popular in countries like Spain and Argentina since the 1980s and its presence in the United States has been steadily expanding in recent years.

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The Pirate Candy Shop to bring viral Swedish candy to downtown St. Pete

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The Pirate Candy Shop to bring viral Swedish candy to downtown St. Pete

A fast-growing candy trend that’s been flooding social media feeds is about to land in downtown St. Pete.

The Pirate Candy Shop is set to open its first Pinellas County location this June at 1614 Central Avenue in the Grand Central District.

The candy shop is taking over a roughly 850-square-foot storefront previously occupied by Tabatha Exquisite Touch Beauty Salon, which operated there for more than 15 years before relocating down the street to 1592 Central Avenue.

The concept comes from husband-and-wife team Adam and Sol Lillhannus, who operate The Pirate Candy Shop in Tampa’s Hyde Park Village.

“We actually ship a lot of candy to St. Pete specifically, so we know we have customers there,” Adam Lillhannus said in a conversation with St. Pete Rising. “We looked at Clearwater, Largo, and Dunedin, but ultimately decided St. Pete was the right fit.”

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Amorino Gelato sets opening date for EDGE District debut

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Amorino Gelato sets opening date for EDGE District debut

A new gelato shop is set to open in St. Pete’s EDGE District next week.

Amorino, a French gelato brand with locations around the world, will celebrate the grand opening of its first Florida storefront at 1246 Central Avenue on Friday, May 1st.

The shop’s entrance is located along 1st Avenue South, and Amorino will share the building with Bosphorus Turkish Cuisine, which recently opened along Central Avenue.

Grand opening festivities will take place Saturday, May 2nd from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., with games and promotional giveaways planned throughout the afternoon.

“We are excited to open our first Florida gelato shop in St. Petersburg…Amorino Gelato is one of the most recognizable artisanal gelato brands in Europe,” said local franchisee Germán Rodríguez Daza in a conversation with St. Pete Rising.

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Urban Stillhouse acquires Warehouse Arts District property, plans renovations this summer

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Urban Stillhouse acquires Warehouse Arts District property, plans renovations this summer

After six years in the Warehouse Arts District, the team behind Urban Stillhouse is doubling down on the concept with a property purchase and a fresh round of renovations.

The 16,000-square-foot restaurant and bourbon bar at 2232 Fifth Avenue South will undergo a series of updates aimed largely at refreshing the space.

According to a deed filed with the Pinellas County Clerk earlier this week, owner Meredith Koko purchased the site for $8 million.

Public records show Koko, through America Neat LLC, financed the acquisition with a $6.4 million loan from Pinnacle Bank. An additional $2.5 million construction loan from the same bank will help fund the upcoming renovations.

“We’ve been open for six years now, and it’s been amazing, but there’s definitely been some wear and tear on the restaurant,” Koko said in a conversation with St. Pete Rising. “So we’re going to do a big overhaul of the interior—mainly cosmetic updates and new decor.”

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Yo-Mama Fried Chicken, a new restaurant from Salem’s Fresh Eats, opens in south St. Pete this weekend

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Yo-Mama Fried Chicken, a new restaurant from Salem’s Fresh Eats, opens in south St. Pete this weekend

A new concept from popular, late-night spot Salem’s Fresh Eats is making its debut in St. Pete.

Fast-casual restaurant Yo-Mama Fried Chicken will soft open at 1735 34th Street South this Saturday, April 18th.

When asked about the inspiration behind the new concept, Salem Gharsalli, founder and CEO of Salem’s Fresh Eats, replied with a smile, “I just really like fried chicken.”

He explained that the fried chicken at other fast-food restaurants didn’t meet his standards, so he decided to convert the former Salem’s location into a new, chicken-centric concept.

In 2021, a new Salem’s was built next door at 1701 34th Street South, leaving the former restaurant space available for Yo-Mama’s new buildout.

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Burger Monger opening new South Pasadena location next month

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Burger Monger opening new South Pasadena location next month

Burger Monger is expanding in Tampa Bay, with a new location set to open in South Pasadena.

The local burger chain will take over the former Kelly’s Roast Beef space at 1530 Pasadena Avenue South, which closed in January after about two and a half years in business.

The 3,890-square-foot restaurant is scheduled to open Monday, May 4th.

Burger Monger is known for its one-third-pound patties made from a proprietary blend of ground chuck and sirloin, often using Akaushi beef, known for its rich marbling.

Customers can build their own burgers or choose from a lineup of house favorites.

Popular options include the Steakhouse Burger, topped with a pepper-crusted patty, bacon, grilled mushrooms, lettuce, tomato, Dijon mustard, and a battered onion ring, and the Peppered Pig, stacked with two patties, provolone cheese, bacon, grilled ham, onions, jalapeños, lettuce, and peppercorn ranch.

Build-your-own burgers come with dozens of add-ons, ranging from fried eggs, avocado, mac and cheese, and grilled pineapple to more traditional toppings like lettuce, tomato, and pickles.

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Sober Bar opening next month in downtown Gulfport with zero-proof cocktails

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Sober Bar opening next month in downtown Gulfport with zero-proof cocktails

A new café and bar is coming soon to Beach Boulevard in downtown Gulfport.

Sober Bar, serving specialty coffee, zero-proof cocktails, kava, and other functional beverages, is preparing to open next month at 3062 Beach Boulevard South.

Owners Sean Hawthorne and Collin Horton have spent the past several months renovating the roughly 1,400-square-foot space, the former home of Anani Bistro, into a moody, New Orleans speakeasy-inspired lounge.

The concept combines elements of a traditional bar with a menu that skips alcohol altogether, instead leaning into functional drinks and a more social, lounge-style atmosphere.

The idea first started as a pop-up in 2025, with Hawthorne and Horton serving drinks at markets across Tampa Bay.

Gulfport’s Tuesday Fresh Market quickly became one of their regular spots, and it didn’t take long to see the demand was there for a permanent storefront.

“With the name Sober Bar, we want it to elicit some curiosity with our customers because the words ‘sober’ and ‘bar’ seem like two conflating ideas,” Hawthorne said in a conversation with St. Pete Rising. “I discovered the kava industry about five years ago when I decided to go sober for a while. I was looking for some sense of community and I found it at these kava bars.”

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Intimate stand-up venue Sunshine Comedy Cafe to open in downtown St. Pete this summer

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Intimate stand-up venue Sunshine Comedy Cafe to open in downtown St. Pete this summer

The growing stand-up comedy scene in St. Pete is getting another addition, this time with a much smaller, more intimate format.

Sunshine Comedy Café will open this summer at 443 1st Avenue North, on the ground floor of the Princess Martha building in downtown St. Pete, bringing a 35- to 45-seat venue focused on up-close, interactive stand-up.

The 996-square-foot space will be located next to Bar Chinchilla, billed as the city’s smallest bar, and just steps from Central Avenue.

Owner Kenny Garcia says the goal is to create a laid-back, speakeasy-style setting that feels more personal than a traditional comedy club.

Garcia, who also operates Sunshine City Comedy Club on St. Pete Beach and Clearwater Comedy Club, said the smaller setup is intentional.

“I like the intimate model a lot more,” Garcia said in a conversation with St. Pete Rising. “Everyone is part of the show. It creates a different energy.”

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Farm-to-table restaurant Casa Origen coming to the EDGE District of downtown St. Pete

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Farm-to-table restaurant Casa Origen coming to the EDGE District of downtown St. Pete

A farm-to-table restaurant is coming to the EDGE District of downtown St. Pete.

Casa Origen will open this summer at 937 Central Avenue, the former home of No Vacancy, a retro Florida-themed bar that closed last year after a six-year run.

The restaurant will use organic, nutrient-dense ingredients sourced from local farms across Tampa Bay, with a menu built around minimally processed foods and clean cooking methods that avoid preservatives and seed oils.

Dishes will be prepared using grass-fed tallow or finished with extra virgin olive oil, with no use of processed sugars and a strong commitment to fully traceable sourcing.

Casa Origen is expected to open first for breakfast and lunch, with a counter-service format where customers order at the register before taking a seat.

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New bar and club Jay Que’s opens on 22nd Street South, replacing Catalyst in south St. Pete

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New bar and club Jay Que’s opens on 22nd Street South, replacing Catalyst in south St. Pete

A new bar and club has opened on 22nd Street South, taking over the former Catalyst on the Deuces space at 903 22nd Street South.

Jay Que’s quietly opened in late March next to Sid’s Caribbean Grill and near Heavy’s Restaurant.

The Catalyst on the Deuces closed in February after opening in 2023 in the former Chief’s Creole Cafe space.

Longtime Chief’s owners Elihu and Carolyn Brayboy still own the building.

22nd Street South, known locally as “the Deuces”, has been one of St. Petersburg’s most significant cultural corridors.

During segregation, it served as a thriving Black business district, home to restaurants, clubs, hotels, and entertainment venues that anchored the city’s African American community.

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