FS8, a Pilates-Yoga hybrid, set to open in the Grand Central District this fall
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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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What began with bouquets at Tampa Bay markets is becoming a place designed to carry people through the day, from morning coffee and flower arranging to wine and small plates in the evening.
Florafête Bouquet Bar, a floral design business founded by Lucy Watkins, plans to open this fall at 400 Beach Drive in downtown St. Pete.
The shop will bring custom arrangements, a build-your-own bouquet bar, retail goods, and a nine-seat wine and coffee bar together under one roof.
The space was previously occupied by Savory Spice Shop, which permanently closed in 2024.
Watkins, a Miami native with decades of hospitality experience, said the concept grew out of an encounter with flower carts while visiting her hometown in 2021.
“At the time, I was just visiting Miami when I saw flower carts not only selling single-stem flowers but also creating full bouquets for people on the street,” Watkins said.
Flower carts are a familiar sight in Miami, which serves as the country’s primary air gateway for imported flowers. Miami International Airport says it handled 91% of U.S. flower imports arriving by air in 2025, with many cut blooms coming from production centers in Colombia and Ecuador.