Upscale rooftop bar Sparrow coming to new boutique hotel on Central Avenue in downtown St. Pete
/Sparrow, a rooftop bar with a 1960s retro vibe, is coming soon to 1234 Central Avenue in downtown St. Pete. This image was taken at Sparrow’s only other location atop the Dalmar Hotel in Fort Lauderdale | Anthony Nader
Sarasota-based Kellogg & Kimsey is well under way on the construction of a Moxy Hotel by Marriott, a boutique hotel that will be part of the 1.6-acre Edge Collective development at 1234 Central Avenue in downtown St. Pete, and the developers — Wurzak Hotel Group, PTM Partners and DoveHill Capital Management — plan to top it off with the second instance of Sparrow, an upscale rooftop bar concept that debuted at The Dalmar Hotel in Fort Lauderdale.
Wurzak Hotel Group President Jake Wurzak describes Sparrow as an upscale bar “but not a velvet-rope kind of vibe,” adding, “we are bringing it to St. Pete because it has been so successful in Fort Lauderdale. And we think a lot of what we did in Fort Lauderdale will do fantastic in St. Pete. We're making some additional enhancements, as well.”
Wurzak’s company has 16 hotels in its portfolio but only The Dalmar and now The Moxy have Sparrow bars. “It really has to be the right location with the right energy,” he says.
The interior lounge at Sparrow’s only other location atop the Dalmar Hotel in Fort Lauderdale | Anthony Nader
In Fort Lauderdale, the Sparrow bar is open only three nights per week — Thursday, Friday, and Saturday — but Wurzak expects the St. Pete version to be open every day, and it will serve lunch during the week and brunch on Sundays.
In the evening, he says, “it will transform at different parts of the night. For example, if you come at 5 o’clock, it might be one experience. If you come at 11 or 12 at night, it might be another experience, meaning there’s less food and more drinking, the music’s a little bit louder, and you can have table service for alcohol. But at five o’clock, it’s still a great place to bring your kids, your parents, or something like that.”
Sparrow’s food and beverage menu, Wurzak adds, will be similar to the Fort Lauderdale location but tailored more to St. Pete.
“It’s not a cookie-cutter concept,” he says. “We’re just bringing the ethos of what Sparrow is to St. Pete.”
Mixtape Punch, a big-batch cocktail that serves 8-10, includes Havana Club Añejo 3 Year & Appleton’s Reserve Rums, Strawberry, Campari, Mixed Citrus Oleo, and Sparkling Wine | Anthony Nader
Sparrow’s exterior will feature tables overlooking Central Avenue, larger dining tables for groups, and a secondary bar adjacent to the hotel’s rooftop pool.
“There will be a couple of different zones that will be tailored to a lunch meeting vs. a Sunday brunch crowd,” Wurzak says. “The really nice thing is we can have private parties and events around the pool deck in the evening.”
Inside, Sparrow will feel “cozy,” Wurzak says, describing it as a “place you’ll want to ‘camp out’ in for hours.”
The website for the Fort Lauderdale Sparrow bar describes it as a “mod rooftop bar reminiscent of the 1960s retro era,” and its Asian-leaning menu features items priced from $8 for a small plate of edamame to $50 for the chef’s sashimi selection. There’s quite a bit of sushi on the menu, in fact, plus staples such as prime New York strip steak, salmon, burgers, and scallops, plus an assortment of bao buns.
12oz Prime NY Strip with Korean BBQ Sauce, served with kimchi and fresh green onion | Anthony Nader
The beverage menu includes an abundance of custom cocktails as well as big batch cocktails for groups, such as Mixtape Punch, Psychic Visions Punch, and High Tea — with the latter consisting of Oolong tea mixed with Jameson Irish Whiskey and other ingredients.
An assortment of red, white, rosé, and sparkling wines is also available, in addition to several foreign and domestic draft beers. In keeping with the Asian theme, nine varieties of artisanal sake are also available by the glass or bottle.
“We have an award-winning cocktail menu,” Wurzak says. “The person writing the beverage menu is from St. Pete, so he should be available to draw inspiration based on his experience living and growing up in the area.”
Sparrow’s exterior will feature tables overlooking Central Avenue, larger dining tables for groups, and a secondary bar adjacent to the hotel’s rooftop pool. This image was taken at Sparrow’s only other location atop the Dalmar Hotel in Fort Lauderdale | Bob Gundu
In St. Pete, Sparrow’s limited capacity means reservations are strongly recommended. Guests who don’t make a reservation will be able to wait in the Moxy Hotel’s ground-floor bar area if Sparrow is at capacity. Hotel guests, according to Wurzak, will be granted priority when making reservations for Sparrow.
“Associating with a hotel gives us a competitive advantage,” he says. “We can use the scale, the services, and the level of team members that we have at our hotel to further elevate the experience and do something a little bit more special.”
Sparrow is expected to open in St. Pete in the first quarter of 2024.
