May 21, 2025

St. Pete Beach’s historic Beach Theatre set to reopen this July after 13 years

May 21, 2025/ Veronica Brezina

The historic Beach Theatre on St. Pete Beach will reopen on Friday, July 18th for the first time in over a decade, bringing back the smell of fresh popcorn and the buzz of excited moviegoers.

The theatre, located at 315 Corey Avenue,firstopened in 1940 as the first venue in Pinellas County built exclusively for sound films.

The reopening follows a year of extensive renovations led by new owners and St. Pete Beach residents Ronald and Sissy Hockman and their daughter, Hannah. The family purchased the 85-year-old theatre in March 2024 for $1 million.

“I have dreamed of owning a theatre for as long as I can remember,” Hannah shared in a Facebook post.

February 05, 2025

Tampa Bay's first Tokyo-style claw machine arcade debuts this weekend in Treasure Island

February 05, 2025/ Veronica Brezina

Almost everyone has been unfairly let down by a claw machine at some point in their life. They lure you in with the illusion of skill, only to betray you with a weak grip and an unfair payout system, leaving you frustrated and broke.

However, there is a new generation of claw machines that are designed to offer a completely different experience, reversing the game’s negative reputation by featuring improved claws with stronger grips, more consistent payouts, and a better prize selection.

After exploding in popularity in Tokyo in recent years, arcades dedicated to this new era of claw machines have been popping up in big cities like New York, Chicago and Las Vegas.

This Friday, the first claw machine arcade, or “clawcade”, opens in Tampa Bay.