PSTA approves $4.8 million federal grant to restore Cross Bay Ferry service between St. Pete and Tampa

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PSTA approves $4.8 million federal grant to restore Cross Bay Ferry service between St. Pete and Tampa

The Cross Bay Ferry, which has linked passengers between downtown St. Petersburg and downtown Tampa since 2017, could once again sail under a new operator.

The Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority (PSTA), which operates the Clearwater Ferry, is now leading efforts to restore ferry service between St. Pete and Tampa after Hillsborough County recently ended its contract with HMS Ferries.

The termination came after HMS proposed replacing the current ferry with a slower vessel that would more than double one-way travel time from 50 minutes to two hours.

When the county canceled its contract with HMS, ending the Cross Bay Ferry operations on April 30th, it left $4,863,280 of unspent Federal Transit Authority (FTA) dollars on the table, which can be used towards the purchase of two new ferry boats for the Tampa-to-St. Pete service.

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Qargo Coffee to open next month, bringing Italian coffee and pastries to the EDGE District

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Qargo Coffee to open next month, bringing Italian coffee and pastries to the EDGE District

Qargo Coffee, a small but rapidly growing coffee company headquartered in Miami, is bringing its Italian coffee and pastries to downtown St. Pete.

The company will open a new 1,200-square-foot café at 924 Central Avenue, located at the base of the 930 Central Flats apartment building. The space was previously home to Indian restaurant Spice Culture Express.

While no opening date has been set, the interior buildout of the café is complete, and employee training has begun.

The concept was first announced on St. Pete Rising in September 2023.

This will be Qargo’s second location in the Tampa Bay region. The company currently operates a kiosk-style café in Tampa's International Plaza and Bay Street mall.

Qargo Coffee uses beans from Lavazza, Italy’s most popular coffee roaster, for its drip coffee, cold brew, and espresso-based drinks.

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Three St. Pete restaurants recognized by Michelin Guide, though none received stars

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Three St. Pete restaurants recognized by Michelin Guide, though none received stars

The Michelin Guide held its annual Florida ceremony last night in Orlando, where three St. Pete restaurants received recognition.

The guide, which first came to Florida in 2022, features restaurants known for exceptional culinary experiences, awarding up to three Michelin stars to those with outstanding cooking. It also honors establishments that serve excellent food at more affordable prices with the Bib Gourmand distinction.

This is the first year the Michelin Guide has considered restaurants from Pinellas County.

Four restaurants—located in Fort Lauderdale, Miami, West Palm Beach, and Orlando—earned their first Michelin star this year, raising Florida’s total number of one-star restaurants to 29. Sorekara in Orlando received two stars, becoming the second restaurant in the state to achieve that honor.

Five Tampa restaurants held on to their coveted Michelin star.

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St. Pete's decaying historic Euclid Methodist Church to reopen as place of worship after denial of event space request

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St. Pete's decaying historic Euclid Methodist Church to reopen as place of worship after denial of event space request

Religious sermons and wedding bells may once again echo through the sanctuary of a 100-year-old historic brick church at the edge of St. Petersburg’s Euclid-St. Paul neighborhood.

The 100-year-old Euclid Methodist Church, located at 919 10th Avenue North, has sat vacant for years. Inside, it’s plagued with black mold, collapsed ceilings, and crumbling walls.

Yet despite the daunting repairs ahead, owners Noam and Irene Krasniansky are determined to breathe new life into the deteriorating building, which was added to the St. Petersburg Register of Historic Places in 2004.

The couple purchased the church in 2023 for $1.1 million using profits from the sale of their Los Angeles home. Their original vision was ambitious: transform the church into a 180-person event venue with a seven-unit bed and breakfast called The Treehouse.

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Pepe's Cantina Mexican Grill opens next week in Historic Kenwood

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Pepe's Cantina Mexican Grill opens next week in Historic Kenwood

A new Mexican restaurant is set to open next week in St. Petersburg’s Historic Kenwood neighborhood, bringing tableside guacamole, tacos, and margaritas to the area.

Pepe’s Cantina Mexican Grill, a growing Central Florida-based eatery, will launch its first Tampa Bay location on April 11 at 3118 3rd Avenue North in the Shoppes at Kenwood.

The 2,275-square-foot space previously housed Cider Press Vegan GastroPub, which closed in October 2024. Before that, it was home to the popular LGBT bar Georgie’s Alibi.

"We initially looked in Tampa, but the Cider Press location had the perfect layout for a cantina with minimal renovation needed," John Cameron, a local franchisee, said to St. Pete Rising.

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