This April, Black Cattle Burger Company is bringing the popular smash burger concept to 17 3rd Street North in downtown St. Pete. It will take over the former Mexican restaurant, Grumpy Gringo, on the Jannus Block, St. Pete’s most popular nightlife destination.

The new burger joint is being launched by Shan Bakrac, who also owns the neighboring Top Slice Pizzeria. The restaurant will seat between 25-30 people with an outdoor patio offering additional seating.

Black Cattle wants to be the solution to the late-night dining problem, especially if you aren’t in the mood for pizza. To accomplish that, the new eatery will focus on taste, quality, and simplicity.

Smash burgers, as the name implies, are smashed on the griddle creating a browned, charred, and toasty flavor. Popular chains like Five Guys and Shake Shack are famous for their smash burgers.

There will be three burger options on Black Cattle’s menu – a standard burger, a truffle burger, and a bacon burger. The burgers will be served on a thick brioche bun with a slice of melted cheese. The burger will be a blend of chuck, brisket and short rib meat.

As for toppings, don’t expect your burger to be piled high with a dozen add-ons. Black Cattle is keeping it simple by only offering lettuce and tomato add-ons.

“I think a lot of restaurants get too fancy with their burgers,” said Bakrac. “When you have too many toppings, it takes away from the taste of the burger.”

Bakrac, who grew up in St. Pete, knows how important it is to keep everything as local as possible. Everything from the branding to the buildout is being handled by local companies. Additionally, small choices like type of cheese, style of bun, and type of meat will be decided by the community.

“The core foundation of our brand has been decided, but smaller details will be determined through community input,” said Bakrac. “I want to crowdsource certain decisions by inviting the community to eat, rate, and make the final decision on certain foods we will provide.”

But if burgers aren’t your thing, Black Cattle will also serve hand-battered and made-to-order chicken tenders.

As if opening a new restaurant isn’t enough work, Bakrac’s other restaurant, Top Slice Pizzeria, will be undergoing a major overhaul while Black Cattle is being built out. The interior of Top Slice will be completely renovated, the menu will be refreshed, and St. Pete-based Hype Group will be leading the charge on a full rebrand.

“We’ve decided to start making everything in-house at Top Slice,” said Bakrac. “Also, instead of having over a dozen pizzas on the menu, we will be reducing the menu to six to eight pizza offerings. The final decision will be made by our community members at an upcoming tasting.”

The pizzeria will be closing later this year to make way for the renovations.

Bakrac grew up on Snell Isle and went to Northeast High School. He’s seen St. Pete’s meteoric growth firsthand and loves being part of the city’s success. After high school, he started flipping houses but quickly decided to try his hand in the restaurant business when a downtown retail space became available. Top Slice Pizzeria debuted in 2018.

When the space next door became available last year, Bakrac knew that this was his opportunity to open a burger joint, which is something he has always wanted to do.

For Bakrac, this is only the beginning. “Over the next few years, I want to continue to develop new restaurant concepts for St. Pete and Tampa. Both cities are exploding with growth, so the timing could not be more perfect.”

Buildout on the new Black Cattle Burger Company has already begun at 17 3rd Street North in downtown St. Pete.  If all goes to plan, expect the new burger joint to open around April 2022.

Black Cattle Burger Company will be open every day from 11:00 am – 3:00 am. For more information, follow Black Cattle on Instagram.