FS8, a Pilates-Yoga hybrid, set to open in the Grand Central District this fall
/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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As The Chattaway’s final afternoon tea reservations filled up, pieces of its English tea room were already being packed away.
Pictures of Queen Elizabeth II came off the walls. Cups and saucers were wrapped for the move. Customers came for one last tea service before the restaurant changed hands, and many had the same question for Amanda Kitto: Where would she serve tea next?
At the time, she didn’t have an answer. Now she does.
Violet’s Cuppa Tea plans to open Sunday, November 15th at 5325 Gulfport Boulevard, offering traditional English afternoon tea in a pink building next to The Boulevard Shoppe and across from Habana Cafe.
Owner Amanda Kitto is the youngest daughter of Jillian Frers, whose family operated The Chattaway for decades before selling the south St. Pete restaurant and property in September.
The sale preserved one of the most historic and longest-running restaurants in St. Pete. But while the burgers and garden remained, the new owners converted the English-inspired tea room into additional restaurant seating and discontinued afternoon tea.
Kitto, who began working at The Chattaway at age 14, decided to continue it herself.