Love Food Central reopens as FireWater with a broader, still plant-forward menu in the Grand Central District
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After nearly a decade, a longtime spot for vegan and gluten-free dining in the Grand Central District has entered a new chapter.
Love Food Central, located at 2057 Central Avenue, recently rebranded as FireWater Cuisine & Wellness and rolled out a new menu about a week ago.
The biggest change is that FireWater, unlike its predecessor, is not strictly vegan.
The updated menu now includes vegetarian and pescatarian options, while still offering a solid lineup of vegan and gluten-free dishes.
In many ways, the shift mirrors what’s been happening recently across St. Pete’s food scene.
Over the past several years, a number of vegan restaurants have closed, including Golden Dinosaurs, Rawk Star Café, Cider Press Café, Freya’s Diner, Black Radish Grocery, Meze 119, Leafy Greens Café, and The Works by Squeeze Juice Works.
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More than six years after the Wagon Wheel Flea Market closed its doors, plans are taking shape to redevelop the sprawling property that was once home to one of Pinellas County's most popular weekend shopping destinations.
Pinellas Park-based Belleair Development Group is under contract to purchase approximately 156 acres at 7801 Park Boulevard North, where the Wagon Wheel and Mustang flea markets operated for more than five decades before closing in 2020.
Christian Yepes, owner of Belleair Development Group alongside his father, Carlos Yepes, confirmed the company is exploring options for a mixed-use development that could bring residential and commercial uses to the largely vacant property.
“We are extremely grateful for the opportunity to develop such a landmark in Pinellas County. We are currently in the midst of due diligence and are exploring mixed-use development options at the site,” Yepes said in a conversation with St. Pete Rising.
The property is currently owned by the family of Hardy Huntley, who founded the Wagon Wheel Flea Market with his wife, Janet, in the 1960s.