Juici Patties, Jamaica's largest patty restaurant chain, is opening its first St. Petersburg location at 3252 Central Avenue.

The restaurant will occupy an endcap space formerly home to Metro by T-Mobile at Central Plaza, a shopping center next to PSTA’s Grand Central bus terminal.

Interior renovations are underway, with an estimated construction cost of $465,000, according to a permit application filed in October.

The restaurant is expected to open in early 2027.

The St. Pete restaurant is part of the brand’s expansion into the Tampa Bay area. The company recently opened a location near University Square Mall in Tampa.

The chain's story began in Jamaica, where founder Jukie Chin started making beef patties in his mother's kitchen and selling them at his parents' grocery store.

What began as a small family business grew into Jamaica's largest patty restaurant chain. The first standalone restaurant opened in 1980, and today the company operates more than 60 locations across the island.

Chin's son, Daniel Chin, now leads the company's expansion into the United States, where Juici Patties has grown to more than 38 locations, including restaurants throughout New York, Florida, Georgia, and Pennsylvania.

At the center of the menu is the Jamaican patty, a flaky, golden pastry stuffed with savory fillings. The traditional beef version is seasoned with Scotch bonnet peppers, pimento seeds, onions, and garlic, with both mild and spicy options available.

Customers can also choose from other fillings, including curry chicken, shrimp, and plant-based options, along with a breakfast patty stuffed with bacon, egg, and cheese.

Patties are available individually or in party packs of 6 or 12.

Another Jamaican staple on the menu is coco bread, a soft, slightly sweet bread made with coconut milk that's commonly served alongside patties.

Customers can order a patty tucked inside coco bread for a more substantial meal.

The restaurant also serves Jamaican beverages, including Bigga Kola Champagne, Bigga Pineapple, and Bigga Ginger Beer, along with Freshhh Cranberry Lychee juice. St. Mary’s Banana Chips, a popular Jamaican snack, are also available.

Renovations are underway, with Juici Patties expected to open in early 2027.

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.

Documents submitted to the Southwest Florida Water Management District (SWFWMD) provide an early glimpse into the redevelopment effort.

In an August 31st authorization letter, the property's owners granted Belleair Development permission to pursue government approvals for a mixed-use project that could include retail and residential development.

The authorization includes permission to seek site plan approvals, rezoning, land-use changes, development agreements, and annexation, along with environmental and geotechnical studies.

Belleair Development is also working with the City of Pinellas Park to annex the property, which is currently located in unincorporated Pinellas County.

On November 5th, the Southwest Florida Water Management District received an application requesting a formal determination of wetlands and other surface waters on the property.

A substantial portion of the site consists of undeveloped land, wooded areas, and lakes, making the environmental review an important step in determining how much of the property can be developed.

For longtime Pinellas County residents, the property holds decades of memories.

The Wagon Wheel's history dates to 1966, when Hardy Huntley, a used-car salesman, and his wife, Janet, began selling secondhand merchandise from a roadside stand along Park Boulevard.

The couple enjoyed visiting yard sales, collecting discarded items, and repairing things they could resell. What began as a small operation gradually grew into one of Florida's largest flea markets.

Over the following decades, the Wagon Wheel expanded to include over 2,000 vendor booths, with merchants selling everything from fresh produce and clothing to antiques, collectibles, furniture, and household goods.

The market also absorbed vendors from the former Mustang Drive-In Flea Market, which operated nearby before its property was redeveloped.

Even a devastating fire in 1986 could not stop the Wagon Wheel. The market reopened the following day, and the Huntley family eventually rebuilt the damaged vendor stalls.

For generations of local residents, visiting the Wagon Wheel became a weekend tradition.

Shoppers wandered through rows of vendors looking for bargains, while hundreds of independent merchants relied on the market to operate their businesses.

Hardy Huntley died in 2013 at the age of 77, leaving the family business to his descendants.

The market continued operating until March 2020, when it temporarily closed during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Three months later, the Huntley family announced that the Wagon Wheel and Mustang flea markets would close permanently after nearly 55 years in business.

The closure left hundreds of longtime vendors searching for new places to sell their merchandise and brought an end to one of the county's most recognizable commercial institutions.

Many former vendors eventually found a new home at the Pinellas Farmers and Flea Market, which began operating in Largo in 2021. The market has since relocated to Win! Derby, formerly Derby Lane, at 10490 Gandy Boulevard in St. Pete, where it continues to operate on weekends.

Meanwhile, the former Wagon Wheel property has remained mostly vacant, with portions of the old market structures still standing.

Its redevelopment would represent a major change for a prominent stretch of Park Boulevard that has remained relatively unchanged since the flea market closed.

For Belleair Development Group, the project would also be among its most significant undertakings in Pinellas County.

Founded in 1997 by Carlos Yepes, the family-owned development company has completed more than 400 commercial and residential projects throughout Florida.

Christian Yepes joined the company in late 2007, helping expand its portfolio of retail centers, residential developments, and other commercial properties.

The company owns The Shoppes at Park Place, a major shopping center in Pinellas Park, and has developed numerous commercial properties throughout the Tampa Bay area.

Yepes said he is grateful for the relationship Belleair Development has established with the Huntley family and considers it an honor to be entrusted with the future of a property that holds so much history in Pinellas County.

For now, Belleair Development remains focused on due diligence and determining what type of development would be appropriate for the site.

A timeline for construction has not been announced.

A new training center near the EDGE District wants to give runners and cyclists a reason to stick around after their workouts.

Orange Belt Collective is targeting a summer 2027 opening at 1501 Burlington Avenue North, combining endurance-focused fitness spaces with a public café, a grab-and-go market, and an outdoor gathering area.

For founders Michael Rideout and Nathan Stonecipher, the idea grew out of the CRIT Championship Tour, a bicycle race they helped bring to the EDGE District in 2023.

A group ride associated with the event brought hundreds of cyclists from different clubs, bike shops, and generations to Green Bench Brewing, filling Baum Avenue with bikes.

Afterward, people hung around to talk with riders they might otherwise have never met.

For Rideout, it was a welcome departure from the usual routine, when cyclists finish a group ride and head their separate ways.

“I don’t recognize half the people I ride bikes with if they’re not in their full kit,” Rideout said in a conversation with St. Pete Rising.

Orange Belt Collective grew out of the desire to change that.

“Part of the idea was having this hub, this place, to bring these different athletes together and give them a place where they can not only train, but be social as well,” Rideout said.

Rideout, a St. Pete native and co-founder of MADE Coffee, and Stonecipher, a co-founder of Green Bench Brewing and partner in St. Pete Athletic, are both recreational cyclists and runners.

Orange Belt Collective brings their hospitality experience to the sports they love.

“Hospitality is the missing ingredient that’ll bring St. Pete’s endurance community together,” Rideout said in the announcement.

The name comes from the Orange Belt Railway, which connected Sanford and St. Petersburg in 1888 and helped spur development along its route.

Orange Belt Collective will span nearly 10,000 square feet, including an 8,400-square-foot main building with a 2,200-square-foot café and retail area, a separate 1,400-square-foot building with member amenities, including showers, lockers, bike storage, and recovery space, and a covered gathering space similar to Green Bench Brewing’s beer garden.

The owners envision running clubs gathering at the café after morning workouts and cyclists stopping for cold drinks before heading back out on the road.

The café menu will include sandwiches, smoothies, coffee, light bites, and a grab-and-go market. Beer, wine, non-alcoholic options, branded merchandise, and athletic accessories are also planned.

Beyond the café, four training areas will accommodate weightlifting, plyometrics, yoga- and Pilates-based mobility work, and indoor cycling and cardio workouts.

Programming will focus on helping runners and cyclists improve, whether they are preparing for their first 5K or chasing a new personal record.

“There’s a lot we want to do here, but one of my main focuses is simple: getting people faster,” Rideout said in the announcement.

Some of that approach comes from personal experience. Stonecipher was surprised by how much Pilates helped his cycling, while Rideout has been exploring how weightlifting fits into his training.

Alongside group workouts, slower-paced instructional classes will teach technique and explain how exercises fit into a training routine.

Members will also be able to train independently.

An auditorium will pair cycling trainers with various cardio equipment for individual workouts, group sessions, and competitions.

The owners envision cyclists racing head-to-head on a stage while friends watch and cheer, with opportunities for runners to compete, too.

That spectator experience helped inspire their original event.

After visiting Georgia’s Athens Twilight criterium, Rideout and Stonecipher wanted to bring that energy to St. Pete. The format sends cyclists around a closed circuit repeatedly, keeping the action close to spectators.

The 2023 CRIT Championship Tour revealed to Rideout and Stonecipher the work and expense involved in producing a single day of racing. Before committing to another race, they wanted something that could sustain the community year-round.

They still hope to bring a major cycling event back to St. Pete, with Orange Belt Collective helping build the audience, relationships, and revenue to support it.

St. Pete-based Storyn Studio is handling architecture and interior design, with branding by Tampa-based Pep Rally Studios.

Plans were submitted to the city in late September and the owners hope to begin demolition and renovation in November, subject to approvals.

Orange Belt Collective’s tentative hours are 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. on weekdays, with shorter hours on weekends.

Rather than launch their own clubs, the founders want existing running and cycling groups to make themselves at home.

“We already have a bunch of great run clubs and group rides in St. Pete,” Stonecipher said. “We just want to be a space that those people can feel free to use.”

Be sure to follow Orange Belt Collective on Instagram and Facebook for construction and opening updates.

The City of St. Petersburg has closed a $6.4 million land sale for The Central, a planned $200 million mixed-use development in the EDGE District, completing a property transfer that had held up construction for months.

The deal was signed on Election Day, November 3rd, the same day Charlie Crist defeated Mayor Ken Welch, transferring portions of the former police headquarters property at 1300 1st Avenue North to entities affiliated with Ellison Development.

The closing clears the way for continued work on the 2.1-acre development, which will include Class A offices, a Marriott Autograph Collection hotel, retail space, 42 workforce apartments, and public gathering spaces.

“This is a big day for The Central and for the EDGE District,” Casey Ellison, president and CEO of Ellison Development, said in a press release. “The excitement surrounding this project has continued to grow, and this milestone brings us one step closer to delivering a destination that will create new opportunities and fresh energy to the neighborhood.”

For nearby businesses and residents, the most visible progress so far has been the 531-space public parking garage, which opened in June 2025 across from Ferg’s Sports Bar.

The sale excludes 400 parking spaces spread across five floors of the garage, matching the number of public spaces promised when the redevelopment proposal was selected in 2019.

Ellison says the garage will remain open during construction of the office building and hotel.

With the land transfer complete, the developer is moving forward with plans for Halcyon, an office building along Central Avenue that Ellison now describes as approximately 116,000 square feet of Class A office space across 10 floors, with more than 11,000 square feet of ground-floor retail.

Halcyon’s planned amenities include exterior balconies and access to the development’s hotel amenities.

Wendy Giffin of Cushman & Wakefield is leading office leasing, and Ellison says additional leasing announcements are expected soon.

The building has already attracted a prominent future occupant. In July 2025, Cathie Wood’s ARK Invest announced plans to relocate its headquarters from 200 Central Avenue to Halcyon.

Alongside the offices, the Central Hotel is now planned as a 165-room Marriott Autograph Collection property, a slight reduction from the previously announced 168 rooms. The hotel will feature a signature restaurant, a rooftop deck, and event spaces.

Chef and television personality Geoffrey Zakarian previously announced plans for a restaurant inside the hotel. His company, Zakarian Hospitality, is also expected to oversee the hotel’s food and beverage operations and provide hospitality services for Halcyon. The restaurant’s name and cuisine have not been announced.

Between the buildings, Central Plaza will provide a landscaped public gathering space connecting the hotel, offices, dining, and retail.

A public art installation by Ya La’ford will honor the Courageous Twelve, the Black St. Petersburg police officers who challenged discriminatory treatment within the department.

The housing component will bring 42 income-restricted apartments fronting 1st Avenue North, with requirements that remain enforceable after the sale.

Of those apartments, 34 must serve households earning at or below 120% of the area median income (AMI), while eight must serve households earning at or below 80% of AMI. All apartments will have restricted rents.

The community must include one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments, with at least two units of each bedroom size.

Those affordability restrictions will remain in place for 20 years after the final certificate of occupancy or through June 30th, 2047, whichever is later.

Additionally, at least five apartments must initially be reserved and offered to city employees before becoming available to other qualifying households if they remain unrented at opening.

A post-closing agreement, which was recorded on November 4th, requires the office, retail, and workforce housing components to be completed by January 1st, 2030.

The agreement also references a $4 million purchase-money mortgage from the city associated with the workforce apartments and a $1 million credit for demolition of the former police headquarters and additional workforce rental units.

Recorded restrictions limits development on the hotel pad to a hotel or an office building with related ground-floor retail. A micro-unit residential building is explicitly prohibited.

The agreement acknowledges that the property is being sold below fair market value in exchange for the office development, workforce housing, and related economic benefits.

Failure to complete the office space could result in $1 million in liquidated damages, while failure to build the workforce housing could result in $6 million in liquidated damages.

The closing marks another milestone in a redevelopment effort that began in 2019, when then-Mayor Rick Kriseman selected Edge Central from seven proposals for the former police headquarters property.

City Council approved the original development agreement in 2021. The project, previously called Orange Station, later shifted from a plan that included condominiums to one featuring a hotel. A ceremonial groundbreaking followed in February 2024.

Tim Clemmons of St. Pete-based Place Architecture designed the development.

“We’re ready for the community to begin seeing The Central rise,” Ellison said. “The Central will create a place that belongs to St. Petersburg and adds something meaningful to the city for generations.”

The St. Petersburg Housing Authority (SPHA) plans to expand Clearview Park Apartments with a four-story, 47-unit building that would give leasing preference to seniors, while renovating the community’s existing affordable family housing.

The project at 3200 37th Avenue North would bring new apartments to an undeveloped portion of the property and update homes that have served residents for more than four decades.

For SPHA President and CEO Michael Lundy, the decision to pursue senior housing started with the agency’s waiting list.

“We look at the waiting list, and we see a lot of need for elderly housing,” Lundy said in a conversation with St. Pete Rising.

Clearview Park currently has 22 garden-style apartments that were built in 1982 on a 3.12-acre site owned by the housing authority.

Under the proposal, 18 existing apartments would be renovated, while four would be demolished to create road access to the new building. Once complete, the property would have 65 apartments, a net increase of 43.

The new building would occupy roughly an acre of open land toward the back of the property.

Plans prepared by MLK Architecture show a 55,652-square-foot building with 39 one-bedroom, one-bathroom apartments and eight two-bedroom, two-bathroom apartments.

Apartments would range from 680 to 923 square feet.

The ground floor would include a lobby, management offices, a meeting room, and indoor bicycle storage, while the upper floors would have community activity spaces.

Plans call for 61 parking spaces across the property.

Lundy said the amenities are still being determined, but the goal is to provide places where residents can meet, socialize, and participate in activities.

The existing apartments would continue serving families and receive extensive interior improvements. Anticipated upgrades include new cabinets, countertops, flooring, windows, and fresh paint.

SPHA will also evaluate whether washer and dryer hookups can be added inside the apartments, which currently rely on an on-site laundry facility.

The work would require careful coordination with the families already living at Clearview.

Lundy said SPHA has been meeting with residents, presenting the proposal, and gathering feedback.

Construction sequencing has not been finalized, but one possibility is to build the new apartments first, allowing eligible older residents to move into the senior building before renovations begin.

Those moves could free up apartments within the existing community and reduce the number of households needing relocation elsewhere.

For residents whose apartments must be vacated during renovations, Lundy said SPHA would arrange relocation and offer the option to return once the work is complete.

Households affected by demolition would be rehoused on the property or elsewhere, depending on availability and eligibility.

The application lists an estimated project value of $13 million, although Lundy cautioned that the figure is preliminary. A more precise budget will depend on completed architectural drawings and construction bids.

SPHA is working with development partner Trouble Creek Road Development, which is affiliated with LEMA Construction.

Lundy said a general contractor has not been selected, and the housing authority would manage the community after development.

Before construction can begin, the team needs to secure financing.

Lundy said SPHA intends to apply for an anticipated second round of city-administered Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery funding in early 2027.

The federal program supports long-term recovery from disasters, including the construction and rehabilitation of affordable housing.

If funding is secured in the first quarter of 2027, Lundy said construction could begin in late 2027 or early 2028.

The financing will also determine the apartments’ final income restrictions. Although the application identifies senior housing at 60% of Area Median Income (AMI), Lundy said the affordability requirements have not been finalized and will depend on the funding sources.

The Clearview proposal is one of several housing projects SPHA is pursuing.

In partnership with Blue Sky Communities, the agency is moving forward with The Hartford Apartments and renovations to the existing Saratoga Apartments. The combined project includes 75 new apartments and the rehabilitation of 34 existing apartments, and was recommended for $7.4 million in city-administered disaster-recovery funding.

Lundy said the partnership has since secured city funding and is targeting a construction start in late 2027 or early 2028.

SPHA is also converting the former Edward White Hospital in North Kenwood into The Edward White Campus. The six-story, 121,000-square-foot building will include 71 affordable apartments for seniors in households earning at or below 80% of AMI, along with the housing authority’s administrative offices and an Evara Health clinic.

Lundy expects that project to be completed in the second quarter of 2027, with SPHA planning to move its offices into the building in April.

A former parking lot near Historic Kenwood is now home to Burlington Post II, a 75-unit affordable apartment community for seniors.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held last Wednesday to celebrate the opening.

Every apartment at the five-story building at 3295 Burlington Avenue North is income restricted, and the property must remain affordable for at least 50 years.

For some of its first residents, the move followed rising rents that made their previous homes increasingly difficult to afford.

Tabari Lewis, community manager with Royal American Management, said in a conversation with St. Pete Rising that many residents learned about Burlington Post II through friends, family, and city housing services while searching for a more affordable place to live.

The building began welcoming residents in August, and 56 people had moved in by the time of its recent ribbon-cutting ceremony, according to Lewis.

“This gives seniors stability, peace of mind, and independence,” St. Petersburg City Council member Lisset Hanewicz said during the celebration.

Developed by Fort Lauderdale-based Green Mills Group, Burlington Post II occupies approximately one acre that previously served as surface parking for the first phase of Burlington Post, which opened in 2018 with 86 affordable apartments for seniors. That building is currently 97% occupied.

Burlington Post II, which started construction in 2024, offers one- and two-bedroom apartments ranging from 740 to just over 1,000 square feet.

The monthly rent is priced from $1,206 to $1,958. 

Each apartment features vinyl flooring, stainless steel and energy-efficient appliances, walk-in closets, and washer/dryer hookups.

Five apartments are reserved for households earning at or below 22% of the area median income (AMI), 12 for households earning at or below 30% AMI, and 34 for households earning at or below 60% AMI. Another 12 apartments are reserved for households earning at or below 70% AMI, and the remaining 12 are for households earning at or below 80% AMI.

For apartments designated for households earning up to 80% of the area median income, the 2026 annual income limit is $64,250 for a single person or $82,600 for a three-person household. Apartments reserved for lower income tiers have lower qualifying limits.

Residents have access to a fitness center, library, business center with computers, game room, and 24-hour laundry rooms. Outdoor amenities include a garden, cooking station, and fire pits.

The community also has a parking garage, bike storage, and on-site management and maintenance.

The $30.4 million project was funded by the city, county, state, and private sources as construction costs escalated after the pandemic.

The City of St. Petersburg committed $5.83 million through a combination of federal Emergency Rental Assistance, American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), and community redevelopment area funding, according to figures confirmed by City staff.

Pinellas County contributed $3.75 million toward the development. Separately, the Housing Finance Authority of Pinellas County issued $16 million in short-term bonds.

The financing package also included roughly $12 million in low-income housing tax credit (LIHTC) equity.

Fifth Third Bank provided construction financing, and Raymond James Affordable Housing Investments purchased the tax credits as a limited partner. Neighborhood Lending Partners of Florida was also among the project’s lenders.

Green Mills is also developing another affordable housing development at 951 22nd Street South in St. Pete. Called Heritage Grove, the proposed community would include 54 affordable apartments and up to 2,500 square feet of ground-floor retail space. The developer currently anticipates beginning construction in early 2027 and completing the project in mid-2028.

Nordstrom Rack is coming to Seminole City Center, taking over the Sportsman’s Warehouse space as the outdoor retailer prepares to close in January.

The new 32,914-square-foot store is planned for 7967 113th Street North, according to construction bidding documents that identify EMJ Construction as the general contractor.

The project will bring the Seattle-based retailer’s discounted clothing, shoes, accessories, and home goods to the shopping center.

Sportsman’s Warehouse will close January 11th, 2027. The store is currently offering 25% off merchandise, excluding guns, ammunition, and optics.

The departure comes a little more than four years after Sportsman’s Warehouse opened its Seminole location in September 2022. The store sells hunting and fishing equipment, camping supplies, outdoor apparel, and other sporting goods.

Plans call for renovating the single-story retail space with a sales floor, employee offices, and stock storage. Work includes new interior finishes, partitions, fixtures, and electrical, plumbing, and mechanical systems, along with exterior improvements that include canopies above the entrance and exit.

Nordstrom Rack is the off-price division of Nordstrom, offering apparel, shoes, accessories, beauty products, and home decor at advertised discounts of up to 70%.

Its stores carry many of the same brands sold at Nordstrom, with merchandise sourced from the company’s full-line stores and website as well as items purchased specifically for the Rack.

The chain traces its beginnings to 1973, when the first Nordstrom Rack opened in the basement of the downtown Seattle Nordstrom as a clearance outlet for the department store’s merchandise.

Nordstrom has served Tampa Bay shoppers since opening its full-line store at International Plaza in 2001. Its first Tampa Nordstrom Rack followed at Walters Crossing in 2010, with a Brandon location opening in October 2014. The company later added a Clearwater store in a two-level former Sears Auto Center adjacent to Countryside Mall.

Nordstrom Rack will join a Seminole City Center tenant lineup that includes The Fresh Market, HomeGoods, LA Fitness, and Ulta Beauty.

The shopping center also recently added a few new restaurants. Beach Pizza is now open at 7724 113th Street North, while Pepe’s Cantina is preparing to open at 7756 113th Street North, taking over the former Maple Street Biscuit Company space.

Shake Shack is also coming to the shopping center, replacing Pieology Pizzeria, at 1165 Park Boulevard.

An opening date for the Seminole Nordstrom Rack has not yet been announced.

At Kava Social Club in Bradenton, the morning coffee crowd and the late-night regulars sometimes arrive just a couple of hours apart.

Students study during the day, remote workers settle in with their laptops, and bartenders stop by after closing out their shifts.

Owner Ryan Bodie says there can still be 15 to 20 people hanging out at 4 a.m. By six, customers are arriving on their way to work.

Now, the business is bringing those around-the-clock hours to Pinellas Park.

Kava Social Club plans to open its second location in January at 9600 66th Street North, formerly home to True Roots Kava Lounge & Smoke Shop.

The 2,100-square-foot space is undergoing a complete interior renovation, including a new tea kitchen.

Once open, it will serve kava, kratom, THC-infused beverages, kombucha, herbal teas, and coffee 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Kava is made from the root of a plant native to the South Pacific, where it has long been shared at social gatherings and ceremonies. People often drink it to relax and unwind, seeking a sense of calm that has helped make kava bars a popular alternative to going out for alcohol.

Kratom comes from the leaves of a tropical tree native to Southeast Asia and is commonly served as a brewed tea. People seek it for effects ranging from increased energy and alertness to relaxation, depending on the amount consumed and the product.

Both drinks can cause side effects, and kratom carries a risk of dependence.

Kava Social Club joins a growing collection of over 50 kava bars across Pinellas County, many offering games, entertainment, and late-night hours.

For Bodie and his fiancée and business partner, Sara Lewis, keeping the doors open all night is part of why they started the business.

Early in their relationship, the couple spent evenings at kava bars in St. Pete, often ending up at Mad Hatters because it stayed open late. Having somewhere to go at almost any hour meant enough to them that they began imagining a place of their own.

“It just meant a lot to us having a place that you can go anytime, and we have a big heart for the community,” Bodie said in a conversation with St. Pete Rising.

The business began with a trailer that unfolded into a tiki-style setup. For roughly nine months, they brought it to festivals and business parking lots while developing their recipes and looking for a permanent home.

Other kava bars let them set up on their patios, where customers participated in blind taste tests. Lewis, a pharmaceutical engineer and microbiologist, helped guide the process.

“We tested every brewing temperature, all the wives’ tales about how to do things, to see if any of them were true,” Bodie said. “It took us about nine months of experimenting to come up with our base recipes.”

The couple opened their Bradenton location in early 2020, eventually adding employees and expanding to 24-hour service.

Their menu includes blends such as Tropical Wave, which combines kratom with holy basil, damiana, and loose-leaf yerba mate. The Dawn Patrol pairs Sumatra dark roast coffee with a customer’s choice of kava blend.

Cold brew, blended coffee drinks, and mushroom coffees round out the offerings, giving customers options beyond kava and kratom.

The Pinellas Park location will have an island-inspired interior influenced by the couple’s love of Fiji, including a large mural and a pool table.

“We want it to feel like you’re on an island, but with AC,” Bodie laughed.

At the Bradenton location, weekly chess gatherings grew into a sponsored team that travels to competitions.

A book club, karaoke, trivia, board games, and card games offer other ways to spend an evening.

Bodie wants the new location to develop that same sense of community, with a welcoming atmosphere and staff willing to spend time answering questions about the menu.

He also plans to offer classes on preparing kava and kratom at home, even if that means customers buy fewer drinks during the week.

“It’s expensive to go out and drink kava and kratom,” Bodie said. “I want people to be able to learn how to make it properly at home, and then they can spend money on the weekends when they come out.”

Pinellas Park is the next step in a larger expansion. Bodie and Lewis hope to eventually operate five to ten family-owned locations across the Tampa Bay area, with St. Pete high on their list.

For now, they’re focused on completing the renovation on 66th Street ahead of a planned January opening.

Follow Kava Social Club’s Pinellas Park Instagram account for updates.

A 31-acre office property along McCann Lake has received preliminary approval for what would become the largest apartment community in Pinellas Park, with 552 units, including at least 221 affordable apartments.

City staff approved the preliminary site plan on September 30th for 10222 MCI Drive in the Gateway Centre Business Park.

The two-phase development would replace an office campus with nine four-story apartment buildings, two clubhouses, pickleball courts, and 847 parking spaces.

The apartment proposal relies on Florida’s Live Local Act, which allows residential development on the industrially zoned property, provided that at least 40% of the apartments, or at least 221 units, are reserved for households earning at or below 120% of the area median income for a minimum of 30 years.

The remaining 331 apartments would be leased at market rates.

Plans call for apartments ranging from studios to three-bedroom units. All nine residential buildings would rise four stories, with a maximum height of 50 feet.

The first phase would include 388 apartments, a 9,543-square-foot clubhouse, and 600 parking spaces. A second phase would add 164 apartments, a 7,186-square-foot clubhouse, and 247 parking spaces.

A pedestrian walkway would follow the lake along the eastern side of the property, connecting with internal sidewalks and existing sidewalks along MCI Drive. Plans also include three new stormwater ponds.

Miami-based developer MAST Capital is identified in the plans, with Kimley-Horn handling the preliminary site plan application and Atwell preparing civil engineering plans.

The property currently contains a three-story, 124,983-square-foot office building that once housed a major MCI call center.

MCI opened the facility in 1993, bringing hundreds of jobs to Pinellas Park.

Even its address was a nod to the telecommunications company: 10222 was the prefix customers dialed to place long-distance calls through MCI’s network, according to a 2001 Tampa Bay Times report.

After MCI merged with WorldCom, the call center shifted from helping small-business telephone customers to providing technical support for other companies.

WorldCom announced the center’s closure in 2001, laying off 499 workers. The departure came eight years after local officials celebrated MCI’s arrival as a major employer.

The property was purchased for $6.3 million in 2002 by Pinellas Plaza LLC, a company with ties to New York City landlord Jay Podolsky.

In the mid-1980s, Podolsky, his brother Stuart and their father, Zenek, pleaded guilty to felony charges, including grand larceny and coercion, after Manhattan prosecutors said the family paid a crew to drive tenants out of their rent-controlled buildings. Jay and Stuart Podolsky were sentenced to five years’ probation and community service; their father served 90 days in jail.

The brothers later became major providers of hotel-based homeless shelter space for New York City, and in 2019 sold 17 buildings to the city for $173 million for conversion to affordable housing, a deal that drew scrutiny from city officials over its price.

In April 2025, Pinellas Plaza LLC transferred the property to two related entities, Pinellas J&S NV LLC and Pinellas S&S NV LLC, each receiving a 50% ownership interest.

The preliminary site plan application does not provide a construction schedule or indicate when demolition of the existing office building would begin.

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.

“I was doing afternoon tea, a traditional English afternoon tea, because my mother — Jillian, the former owner — is English, and I wanted to carry on that tradition,” Kitto told St. Pete Rising.

Her mother, originally from Blackheath, England, helped create the tea room that became an unexpected feature of a restaurant better known for cheeseburgers and its leafy outdoor courtyard.

Inside, guests gathered around tables set with china, beneath photographs of the queen and shelves of decorative plates. Birthdays, bridal showers, and ordinary afternoons brought people in for tea by reservation.

During the final months of service, Kitto stayed busy accommodating customers who wanted to experience it again before it ended.

The new 1,726-square-foot cafe will bring familiar pieces of The Chattaway’s tea room to a larger space. Teacups, teapots, antique plates, British flags, and framed photographs of Queen Elizabeth II will help recreate the room longtime customers knew.

Kitto’s sister, Debby, is helping decorate Violet’s after previously working with their mother to create The Chattaway’s “Blue Room.”

Kitto estimates the indoor space and shared courtyard could accommodate about 50 guests, compared with roughly 22 seated comfortably in The Chattaway’s tea room.

Violet’s traditional afternoon tea will cost $50 per person and include unlimited tea alongside a three-tiered assortment of sandwiches, scones, crumpets, and desserts.

The bottom tier will feature crustless finger sandwiches with fillings such as cucumber and butter, egg salad, tuna salad, chicken salad, and pimento cheese. Turkey, ham, and cheese roll-ups will also be among the options.

Warm scones and crumpets will occupy the middle tier, accompanied by clotted cream, jam, and lemon curd.

Desserts and fresh fruit will fill the top, with selections changing depending on what is being baked that day.

Melissa Reid, a Chattaway server who helped Kitto handle the restaurant’s final months of afternoon tea reservations, is joining her at Violet’s and will bake for the business.

Lemon bars, key lime pie, cookies, and small slices of cake are among the sweets customers may find on their trays.

The tea selection will include roughly 20 varieties, ranging from traditional English black tea to flavored and seasonal options, with caffeinated and caffeine-free choices.

Guests at the same table can choose different teas, with separate pots provided for different selections.

Children can participate with options such as peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and lemonade served in a teapot.

Vegetarian, gluten-free, and dairy-free options will also be available upon request, with an additional charge for gluten-free service.

Reservations for afternoon tea should be made at least 48 hours in advance by calling or texting the business.

Solo guests are welcome alongside couples and larger groups.

Customers stopping in without a full tea reservation will be able to purchase tea, drip coffee, scones, and other pastries individually, either to enjoy inside or take to go.

Violet’s also plans to host private gatherings and themed tea parties, and some antiques from The Boulevard Shoppe will be displayed for sale throughout the room.

Although the business carries forward a tradition associated with Kitto’s mother, its name comes from the youngest member of the family.

Violet is Kitto’s two-year-old granddaughter, who often accompanied her during preparations for The Chattaway’s tea services.

“She would help me unset the table when I would set it,” Kitto laughed.

Now, the cups and saucers Violet once helped rearrange will have a place in the tea room bearing her name.

Follow Violet’s Cuppa Tea on Facebook for updates on its planned November 15th opening.

After years of holding services in trailers and renting venues for larger gatherings, the Chabad Jewish Center of Greater St. Petersburg has a new downtown home.

The two-story Chabad Center for Jewish Life and Learning at 533 4th Street North brings worship, classes, community meals, and celebrations together in a 14,000-square-foot building with a sanctuary, social hall, classrooms, library, commercial kosher kitchen, and rooftop deck.

Rabbi Alter Korf and his wife, Chaya Korf, celebrated the opening alongside hundreds of community members and supporters at a ribbon-cutting ceremony this past Sunday, October 25th. Programming began in the building in April.

“Today we don’t just mark the completion of the building but celebrate the beginning of a new era,” Rabbi Korf said during the ceremony.

The opening marks a significant change for an organization that has spent more than two decades working out of smaller spaces across St. Petersburg.

The Korfs founded the local Chabad in 2002, initially operating from a stilt house along the bay. Hurricane concerns and the need for more room led to a move into a 1,000-square-foot storefront on Central Avenue.

The organization later relocated to 4010 Park Street North, where multiple trailers totaling more than 2,000 square feet housed weekly services, Hebrew school, and other activities.

As participation grew, larger gatherings, including High Holiday services and community challah bakes, required rented hotel and event space.

“For more than two decades, for so many individuals and families, Chabad has meant one thing: family,” Chaya said during the opening ceremony. “You are welcomed as you are, no judgment here.”

The new center gives those activities a permanent home under one roof.

On the first floor, a conference room provides space for adult education, while a youth education wing includes classrooms and an outdoor patio.

A glass stairwell leads to the second-floor sanctuary and social hall, where a movable partition allows the space to accommodate different gatherings.

The center’s programming includes Hebrew school, Bar and Bat Mitzvah training, teen activities, adult education, women’s events, a Mommy and Me program, and summer camp for children ages 5 through 12.

Chabad directly operates the commercial kosher kitchen, which serves weekly Shabbat dinners, Sunday breakfasts, holidays, and events.

A rooftop deck provides additional outdoor gathering space.

The building was designed by Mike Muroff of Purdy + Muroff Architecture and Heshy Hecht of HH Designers and built by Bandes Construction.

Its completion follows a multiyear construction and fundraising effort.

Chabad purchased the half-acre property for $1.7 million in 2019 and broke ground in April 2023.

Korf said permitting, post-pandemic supply chain disruptions and cost increases, interior construction, and the pace of fundraising all contributed to the timeline.

“We chose to do it right rather than fast, and we couldn’t be prouder of the result,” Korf said in an email to St. Pete Rising.

The organization has raised $8 million toward its $10.9 million campaign, with contributions from more than 100 families and supporters.

Naming opportunities remain available for portions of the center, including the building itself.

A planned Holocaust memorial has not yet been installed. Korf said it will be completed soon and dedicated at a later date.

Chabad operates without a formal paid membership roster, welcoming participants across all levels of Jewish observance. Hundreds of community members and families take part in its programs and events.

For the Korfs, the opening fulfills a vision developed over years of moving between spaces and finding room for a growing community.

“When Chaya and I first dreamt of this center, we envisioned a beautiful home for our growing community,” Korf said at the ceremony. “Well, my friends, what was once a dream is standing before your eyes.”

Ice & Cream Creamery is bringing small-batch ice cream, hand-spun milkshakes, and more to downtown St. Pete.

The local ice cream chain will open at 648 Central Avenue, formerly home to Brutique, which closed in July after nine years in business.

The new 1,500-square-foot shop will be the eighth location for Ice & Cream Creamery, which has seven existing stores throughout Pinellas County, including two on Clearwater Beach and one each in Madeira Beach, Dunedin, St. Pete Beach, Treasure Island, and Gulfport.

The creamery says its ice cream is made fresh in small batches using locally sourced ingredients, with a selection of 48 flavors.

The flavors lean toward the classics, with options like butter pecan, rocky road, cookies and cream, and mint chip, plus varieties such as red velvet cake, salted caramel peanut, coconut almond fudge, and chocolate fudge brownie.

Other options include Stellar Coffee, pistachio, dulce de leche, and Dreamsicle, which swirls vanilla ice cream with orange sherbet.

The menu also features watermelon and red raspberry sorbets, key lime and rainbow sherbets, and dairy-free coconut milk ice cream.

Gluten-free options and sugar-free vanilla, chocolate, and mint chip are also available.

A single scoop is listed at $4.97, with double scoops priced at $7.97 and triple scoops at $11.97.

For an additional 97 cents, customers can add toppings such as Reese’s peanut butter cups, Oreos, Nutella, gummy bears, sliced strawberries, marshmallow fluff, and hot fudge.

Beyond scoops, Ice & Cream Creamery serves $6.50 hand-spun milkshakes, ice cream floats, and Twisters, its take on a Dairy Queen Blizzard.

An opening timeline has not yet been announced for the downtown St. Pete location.

A 5.98-acre, partly vacant property in Pinellas Park is slated for redevelopment into a mixed-use project with apartments, retail and office space.

On Tuesday, October 20th, the Pinellas Park City Council approved a major Planned Unit Development (PUD) amendment for a 32-unit, four-story apartment building and an 8,000-square-foot, two-story building with a clubhouse and commercial space at 7725 78th Street North.

The property currently houses a 9,700-square-foot wedding venue and catering establishment, M & N Event Hall, which would remain. To the north and west are vacant commercial properties in unincorporated Pinellas County, formerly the Wagon Wheel Flea Market.

The site was first approved for mixed-use redevelopment in 2022 with 54 apartments and 4,000 square feet of commercial space, but that approval expired because no work started within six months.

In 2024, the council approved a revised plan with 32 units and a 4,000-square-foot, one-story commercial building. The latest amendment keeps the unit count and density the same but changes the size and location of the commercial building, doubling it to 8,000 square feet and adding a second floor.

“I wanted to talk about why we are doing this and why it requires a PUD amendment. We are swapping the two buildings, the residential building and the commercial building, and the commercial building is getting an extra floor,” Matt Sylverain, principal of Gulf Coast Consulting Inc., said at the meeting.

“We are adding an extra floor because we ran out of room in the residential building for a clubhouse, amenities or a gym, so we are placing it in the same building where we are going to have the commercial space,” he said.

QT Construction is the developer. The four-story, L-shaped residential building, named Magnolia Apartments, will total about 59,120 square feet, with layouts ranging from one to four bedrooms.

The first floor of the smaller building will house a clubhouse and pool house, with an outdoor pool and other amenities. The second floor will have office, retail and personal services space.

A 200-space surface parking lot would sit in the heart of the development. Sylverain noted that a grass lot south of the site could also be used for overflow parking.

A construction timeline was not disclosed.

City Council members confirmed that the conditions set in 2022 would carry over to the revised plan. That year, the site was rezoned from Heavy Commercial to General Commercial (B-1) with a Mixed Use PUD overlay.

The conditions included amenities around the shared pond, no balconies on the east side of the apartment building, and stop signs and speed humps installed with Public Works approval.

The Morning Sesh, a new coffee shop operating out of a 1965 vintage camper, will begin popping up around St. Pete in late winter or early spring 2027.

The 11-foot blue-and-white trailer will serve espresso drinks, matcha, chai, and dirty sodas at farmers markets, apartment complexes, and other events.

Owners Jenna and Adrian Turpin are also looking into stops at hospitals and hope to eventually organize a run club through the business.

The trailer will carry the motto “made for mornings, built for community,” and the owners hope customers will stick around to chat after picking up their drinks.

Jenna’s currently testing recipes for the menu, including a signature Morning Sesh latte featuring a housemade syrup with brown butter, honey, brown sugar, vanilla bean paste, and flaky sea salt.

Other drinks in development include a coconut matcha, an orange-and-vanilla latte, and a salted caramel latte topped with vanilla cold foam. The menu will also include cold brew, chai, and hot chocolate, with oat and almond milk available at no extra charge.

She plans to source beans from a local roaster and hopes to add pastries from a local bakery after the first month of business.

“I want to focus on high quality products rather than trying to sell things as fast as we can. I'd rather have a limited menu to really hone in on what products we're going to purchase and sell to customers,” Jenna told St. Pete Rising.

A dirty soda fan herself, Jenna is working on several recipes for the trailer. One combines Sprite or club soda with orange, vanilla, and sweet cream. Another mixes strawberry and orange with coconut cream.

The trailer’s schedule is still being developed, however farmers markets will be a priority. The Turpins have also spoken with a few apartment complexes about potential visits.

Jenna hopes to establish recurring stops so customers know where to find them each week, while also taking the trailer to different neighborhoods and events.

“I’d rather just go where we’re wanted and meet as many different people as I can,” she said. “I don’t want to just stick to one spot.”

Hospitals are also of particular interest. She’d like to serve workers whose overnight and 12-hour shifts might keep them from visiting other pop-ups.

The Turpins will be new to St. Pete themselves when the trailer opens. The couple and their young son are moving from Athens, Georgia, in January, following the sale of their sauna and cold plunge studio.

They chose St. Pete before visiting, researching the city through photos, videos, and social media. They were looking for a place to raise their family and meet people who shared their interests in fitness and wellness.

During their first visit, a walk down Central Avenue helped confirm the decision.

“The first afternoon we were in St. Pete, we parked downtown and just walked down Central Avenue. And we were like ‘This is where this is where we need to be, 100%,’”Jenna said. “Everyone felt so welcoming and friendly. It was really nice walking down the street with people saying hi, waving, and asking how we were doing.”

The couple originally planned to call the business Fika Coffee Co., a reference to Adrian’s Swedish heritage and the tradition of gathering for a coffee break. They changed it to The Morning Sesh partly to connect with the running community, but the idea of taking time to get to know customers remains central to their plans.

“We are all about community, and we just want to connect and meet a lot of people. We're moving away from everyone we know and we don't have any family or friends down there,” Jenna explained. “I just want to build a family in St. Pete. I think a really cool way to do that is by opening a cafe, because everyone drinks coffee or tea.”

Follow The Morning Sesh on Instagram for updates on its opening and pop-up schedule.

A new yoga and Pilates studio coming to downtown St. Pete will pair fitness classes with a wellness shop stocked with skincare, supplements, and household essentials.

Rosemary House plans to open in early 2027 at 325 1st Street South, on the ground floor of Saltaire, the 35-story condominium tower developed by Kolter Urban and completed in 2023.

The 1,500-square-foot space will feature a retail area near the front windows and a studio toward the back.

Visitors will be able to take a class, browse the shop, or stop in for a purchase without participating in a workout.

“It was really important for us to have a substantial retail component. We want you to feel good outside of the studio too,” one of the founders said in a conversation with St. Pete Rising. “It’s not just a really hard workout, and then you go home and you’re eating fried food.”

The shop will carry products ranging from face wash, deodorant, and sunscreen to candles, laundry detergent, and household cleaners. Supplements and hydration products will also be available.

A preview on Rosemary House’s website includes skincare from Ursa Major, household products from Koala Eco and Homecourt, and deodorant from AKT.

The selection will emphasize products the owners have reviewed for their ingredients, including smaller brands and items that can be difficult to find locally.

“A lot of the brands and products I’m going to curate the store with are small-batch, small businesses that are not in Whole Foods yet, or they’re not in Sprouts,” one of the founders said.

The retail shop will operate during studio hours and serve nearby residents as well as class participants. The idea is to make it convenient to replenish a skincare product or pick up something for the home, whether or not a workout is on the agenda.

Rosemary House will offer four types of classes: Yoga Sculpt, Vinyasa Flow, Mat Pilates, and Yin Yoga. Each will last 50 minutes and welcome all experience levels, according to its website.

The studio’s signature Yoga Sculpt class will combine yoga-inspired movement with weights and other props in a warm room, mixing strength training with stretching and mobility work.

Vinyasa Flow will follow a traditional yoga format, connecting breath with movement through standing poses and flowing sequences.

Mat Pilates will focus on core strength, posture, and controlled movement, incorporating ankle weights and resistance bands. The studio will not use reformers.

For those seeking a slower pace, Yin Yoga will feature longer-held poses, gentle music, and guided meditation in a softly heated room.

The owners anticipate offering classes throughout the day, with weekday sessions beginning around 6 a.m. and the final class starting around 7 p.m. The studio will run one class at a time, and a finalized schedule has not been announced.

The concept takes its name from Rosemary Avenue, a street that holds special meaning for the founders. They deliberately left “yoga” and “Pilates” out of the name to reflect the business’s broader focus on movement and everyday wellness.

“What we love about St. Pete is the community,” one of the founders said. “We’re excited to bring a concept to a city that values small businesses.”

Rosemary House is currently awaiting its construction permit. The owners anticipate approximately three months of construction once that approval is secured, with an opening targeted for early 2027.

For updates, visit Rosemary House’s website or follow @rosemaryhouseco on TikTok and Instagram.

Two years after Hurricane Helene devastated Willy’s Burgers & Booze, the St. Pete Beach watering hole is preparing for a comeback.

The open-air bar and restaurant at 645 Corey Avenue announced recently that construction is beginning following a lengthy permitting process.

A reopening date has not been announced.

“The road back has been anything but easy,” the business shared on Facebook. “We have spent the past 14 months working through the permitting process, navigating delays and obstacles, and doing everything we can to make this day possible.”

“There have been times when the process felt overwhelming, but we have never lost sight of what Willy’s means to so many people,” the post continued.

Known for its burgers, affordable drinks, and laid-back, beachy atmosphere, Willy’s has been closed since the hurricanes of late 2024.

Hurricane Helene’s storm surge devastated the restaurant before Hurricane Milton arrived less than two weeks later.

In a fundraiser launched between the storms, owner Stephen Molloy described a staff suddenly out of work, with some employees also losing their homes and belongings.

The fundraiser raised more than $20,000, with all donations designated to go directly to employees.

Molloy, who purchased Willy’s in 2019, wrote at the time that taking over the business came with an understanding that its character was worth preserving.

“The community decided that I was not the owner of Willy’s but a curator, a keeper of history,” Molloy wrote. “I was not to change a thing!”

That commitment will carry into the rebuild, with plans to retain the restaurant’s familiar atmosphere, color scheme, and food and drink offerings.

Among its best-known menu items was the Big Gooey, a 10-ounce cheeseburger topped with lettuce, tomato, and onion. The menu also featured other burgers, salads, sandwiches, hot dogs, fried and steamed seafood, and daily specials such as spaghetti and meatballs and country-fried chicken.

Late-night hours and inexpensive happy-hour drinks helped make Willy’s a gathering place for beach residents and visitors alike.

Local entrepreneur Mike Anderson opened the business in the early 2000s in a former hot dog stand. Anderson, who died in 2021, owned a collection of Pinellas County bars and restaurants, including Jwags, The Wharf, The Reef, Dead Bob’s, and The Joint.

In its reopening announcement, Willy’s credited property owners Charles and Helen Collom with helping make the restaurant’s return possible.

“They never gave up on the idea of bringing Willy’s back, even when the road ahead was difficult and many others might have walked away,” the business wrote.

Charles died during the two-year closure. Helen has continued the effort, carrying forward his wishes to rebuild the restaurant.

The announcement also thanked customers who have shared memories, sent messages, and asked when Willy’s would return throughout the closure.

“We know there is still work ahead before we can welcome everyone back through our doors, but seeing construction begin is a huge milestone and a moment we have been waiting a long time for,” the business wrote.

Follow Willy’s Burgers & Booze on Facebook for construction updates and a reopening timeline.

After months of renovating a former convenience store and fine-tuning recipes, the owners of Kitty’s House of Pizza are getting ready to welcome their first customers next month in St. Pete’s Central Oak Park neighborhood.

The pizzeria at 4059 5th Avenue North will serve scratch-made pies that owners Steve Garrahan and Kurt Drake hope will give nearby residents something to crave.

Garrahan and Drake, the founders of Bright Ice Scoop Shop, first announced the concept in December 2025. Since then, they have been developing a small menu built around familiar flavors with a few unexpected ingredients.

“We want the pizzas to be distinct, but we don’t want them to be weird for the sake of being weird,” Garrahan said in a conversation with St. Pete Rising.

One of the owners’ favorites is the Golden Hour, which contains a creamy pepperoncini pepper white base with mozzarella, housemade sausage, red onions, pepperoncini rings, and roasted red peppers.

The Aloha Kitty is a twist on Hawaiian pizza, featuring a sweet-and-savory pineapple jam with sweet onion, red bell pepper, jalapeño, and lime juice.

It’s an approach Bright Ice customers may recognize. At the pair’s scoop shops, strawberry ice cream becomes roasted strawberries with brown sugar and balsamic, while blueberry gets a touch of cinnamon.

At Kitty’s, that creativity will be concentrated into nine specialty pizzas and a build-your-own option, available as 12-inch and 16-inch whole pies.

Other options include a three-mushroom pizza and a pie featuring a salsa verde-inspired sauce with parsley, basil, and lemon.

The dough, made with unbleached, unbromated flour, will ferment for 48 to 72 hours before baking in a brick oven at roughly 550 degrees.

Prices are still being finalized, but the owners want dinner at Kitty’s to be an affordable alternative to shopping and cooking for a family.

“We’re always trying to think about the value we can give to our customer,” Drake said. “Why would they choose us?”

Beyond pizza, the team is developing a small selection of pastas, salads, starters, and desserts.

Dishes being tested include meatballs with red pepper sauce and lemon-Parmesan ricotta, along with gigante butter beans in a Parmesan cream sauce with sun-dried tomatoes and roasted red peppers.

For dessert, Kitty’s will offer a coconut cake with salted caramel buttercream among other selections. Bright Ice pints will also be available to take home.

Garrahan and Drake purchased the 2,834-square-foot property in June 2025 while searching for a larger Bright Ice production facility. The extra space gave them room to develop a restaurant alongside it, naming Kitty’s after Garrahan’s daughter’s cat.

The former convenience store was stripped back to its exterior walls and rebuilt as a 26-seat dining room with terrazzo floors, wood finishes, and a palette of green, orange and blue.

Original plans for the building, built in 1964 as a Shell gas station, helped guide its restoration.

Kitty’s will primarily focus on carryout for lunch and dinner, with plans to add approximately 22 outdoor seats later.

The adjoining production facility will replace Bright Ice’s Pinellas Park location and double its ice cream storage capacity.

The owners are targeting a November soft opening, pending final inspections.

Follow Kitty’s House of Pizza on Instagram for opening and menu updates.

Three years after leaving downtown St. Pete, Acropolis Greek Taverna is returning to Central Avenue with its familiar Greek dishes, lively celebrations, and a new underground lounge.

The restaurant will open at 475 Central Avenue, the former home of Concrete Jungle, which closed in January after just over two years in business.

A grand opening is planned for mid-December.

Acropolis previously spent 12 years at 515 Central Avenue before closing in 2023 following a dispute with its landlord.

For Sam Waez, who co-founded Acropolis in 2001, the past three years have been spent looking for a way back to St. Pete.

“This is my backyard. All my people are here, all my friends,” Waez said in a conversation with St. Pete Rising. “I like being here.”

Just one block from its original location, the 6,000-square-foot space will house the Greek restaurant on the ground floor and a separately named, upscale lounge in the basement.

The menu will feature familiar Greek and Mediterranean dishes, including gyros, souvlaki, falafel, and kabobs, along with saganaki, the flaming cheese appetizer served with pita.

Belly dancing, plate breaking, napkin tossing, and weekend DJs will also return, carrying forward the lively atmosphere that made dinner at Acropolis as much about the celebration as the meal.

The restaurant will offer an extensive menu of Greek wines and cocktails, with hookah available outside.

Waez is also bringing in a chef from Canada to develop menu items exclusive to this location, with dishes such as tomahawk steak and sea bass.

The familiar Acropolis menu will remain, but he wants to elevate the presentation and offer more options for diners looking for a higher-end meal.

Downstairs, an intimate, speakeasy-style lounge will have its own cocktail program featuring top-shelf spirits and a separate menu of approximately 10 tapas-style small plates.

Live music and Las Vegas-inspired performances are planned, although details of the shows have not yet been announced.

The lounge may also offer a members-only evening one night a week, remaining open to the public the rest of the week.

The restaurant and lounge are expected to open together in December, celebrating their debut with a large buffet, complimentary drinks, and free hookah.

For Waez, the new restaurant is a homecoming three years in the making.

“We didn’t leave because we wanted to,” he said. “This whole time, I’ve been looking for another location because I love St. Pete.”

Acropolis is expected to open daily at 11 a.m., closing at 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and midnight on Fridays and Saturdays. The downstairs lounge will open at 5 p.m., with closing times expected to range from 1 to 3 a.m.

A new pinball bar will open in the EDGE District this winter with a lineup spanning superheroes, dinosaurs, horror movies, and a decades-old machine that helped inspire the business.

The Lucky Flipper is targeting an early December opening at 915 Central Avenue, the former home of Machine Shop Barber Company.

Owner Matthew Scott is building a 1,600-square-foot venue with 16 to 18 pinball machines, 3-6 classic arcade cabinets, and a bar focused on local and Florida-made beer.

Rather than a dark, neon-lit arcade, Scott wants the space to feel bright, approachable, and unmistakably St. Pete. The venue’s branding uses coral and teal colors and a roseate spoonbill, a bird Scott often sees near his Crescent Lake home.

Guests will pay daily admission, currently planned at $14, for unlimited play and the ability to come and go throughout the day.

Scott said he is considering discounted date nights, memberships, military discounts, and other special offers.

The Lucky Flipper will open with primarily modern pinball machines, including Jaws, Jurassic Park, Godzilla, Stranger Things, The Walking Dead, Dungeons & Dragons, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Venom, Avengers, King Kong, and several X-Men titles. A refurbished 1993 Judge Dredd machine will also be part of the collection.

Scott expects to rotate machines over time, adding newer releases while eventually bringing in older games as he and his son become more familiar with maintaining them.

For newcomers, he said the best machine is usually the one tied to a favorite movie, show, or character.

“If they like watching Stranger Things, they’re more likely to like banging around on that machine,” Scott said in a conversation with St. Pete Rising. “If you’re a Jurassic Park person, going to use a pinball to catch different dinosaurs and work your way through the paddocks to ultimately have to fight the T. rex is exciting.”

The bar will have six beers on draft, with one national domestic beer and the remainder likely devoted to local or Florida breweries. There will also be canned and bottled beer, wine, seltzers, nonalcoholic beer, soft drinks, and malt-based canned cocktails.

The Lucky Flipper will not serve food, instead encouraging visitors to bring in meals from nearby restaurants.

“The EDGE District has plenty of great food that customers can bring in and enjoy,” Scott said.

The pinball bar will also host learn-to-play nights, likely on Mondays or Tuesdays, when Scott plans to teach visitors about the parts of a machine and the strategy behind each game.

He hopes to eventually host tournaments, youth leagues, and events for experienced players and people who have never played before.

“There’s a tactile feeling to pinball that’s better than a video game or an iPad,” Scott said. “You’re physically hitting the button. It physically makes the flipper move. It launches a real ball up a real ramp. There’s geometry and physics involved.”

Scott, 44, came to the business after an 18-year Army career that took him to numerous states across the country.

He retired in 2023 after being stationed at MacDill Air Force Base and had trouble finding work that felt as fulfilling as his time in uniform and his years volunteering with Team Rubicon, a disaster-response nonprofit largely made up of veterans.

“I couldn’t find the right thing,” Scott said. “I was like, ‘Well, maybe I’ll just create the right thing.’”

His interest in pinball began during the pandemic, when he and his wife, Jessica, began playing a Judge Dredd machine that belonged to her late father.

Scott started visiting Replay Amusement Museum in Tarpon Springs and Three Daughters Brewing in St. Pete, where he became increasingly interested in the game and its competitive community.

He began considering an arcade in 2021, but the idea did not come together at the time. After moving to Crescent Lake earlier this year, Scott said his wife encouraged him to revisit it. He began looking for a space almost immediately.

“I want to give back to the city that has given so much to me,” Scott said. “I want to put something into it by creating a place where adults, young adults, and families can come hang out, play pinball, and connect face to face.”

He hopes The Lucky Flipper becomes a place for someone stopping in before a Rays game, friends on a date, serious players practicing for tournaments, or families looking for an activity away from a phone or computer screen.

The Lucky Flipper is expected to open in early December. Be sure to follow them on Instagram and Facebook for updates.

A new café named for one of Pinellas County’s noisiest residents is coming soon to Gulfport.

Nanday Café will open at 3107 Beach Boulevard South, the former home of GulfPerk Coffee Bar. The locally owned café will serve coffee, breakfast, and lunch, according to its website.

GulfPerk remained closed after sustaining extensive damage during Hurricane Helene in late 2024 and announced in July that it would not reopen after three years in business.

The café’s name comes from the loud-mouthed nanday parakeets frequently seen, and heard, around Pinellas County. The green birds have become something of an unofficial mascot of the area.

Native to South America, nanday parakeets first appeared outside captivity in St. Petersburg in 1969.

More than 200,000 of the birds were imported to the United States for the pet trade between 1968 and 1990, according to a 2004 paper published in Florida Field Naturalist.

Researchers wrote that accidental escapes and possibly deliberate releases led to free-flying birds in Florida.

Although a menu has not been released, Nanday Café says it will offer espresso drinks, lattes, matcha, and “fresh, satisfying neighborhood favorites” for lunch.

Its website describes the concept as a place for a morning latte, a leisurely lunch, or time spent enjoying Gulfport’s laid-back atmosphere.

Nanday Café has not announced an opening date or hours. Follow the café on Instagram and Facebook for updates.