Sea Hags Bar & Grill, a popular waterfront establishment located at 9555 Blind Pass Road in St. Pete Beach — just across the bridge from Treasure Island — closed its doors in June, much to the dismay of the pub’s extremely loyal customer base.

But in a few short weeks, the space will reopen under new ownership as the Hippie Shack, which bills itself as “an eatin’, drinkin’, and dancin’ kind of joint.”  

According to General Manager Mallory Chernesky, who landed a bartending job at Sea Hags after moving to St. Petersburg in autumn 2022, the Hippie Shack, true to its name, will have a 1960s/1970s vibe.

Chernesky, speaking with St. Pete Rising, said that longtime Sea Hags patrons, as well as employees, several of whom have been rehired by new owner Roger French, are overjoyed to “get our little village back together.”

She added, “Everyone was sad to see this place go. We had a good crew, a good team, and so many regulars. It’s cool to see something come back with the same vibe, same mentality.” 

The Hippie Shack, with its ’60s and ’70s theme, will be very focused on music. A house DJ, Peter “Rocket” Hall, will provide the tunes but there will be live music performed by local bands a few nights per week.

“The food won’t be typical beach seafood stuff,” Chernesky said. “We’ll have something for everybody. We’ll have a lot more bites, nibbles, and snacks that are good for when you’re dancing and hanging out. We’ll have a late-night menu. But we’ll still have our classic entrees, pasta dishes, fresh grouper, things like that.

“The menu is still in progress,” continued Chernesky. “But Roger wants to bring some stuff from Iowa and the Midwest, stuff that will be nostalgic for people visiting here. It’ll be a good mix.” 

For instance, the Hippie Shack will serve a Midwest "Maid-Rite”, a mouthwatering, slow-simmered, house-seasoned loose meat sandwich with a Hippie twist. Another midwestern favorite that will be offered is the Cheese Frenchy, a grilled cheese sandwich that is cut up and deep fried in egg batter, dredged in frosted flakes crumbs, and served with a special Hippie sauce for dipping.

In keeping with the theme, Chernesky added, the Hippie Shack will have on-brand décor, such as pictures of Jimmy Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, and more adorning the walls.

The dance floor area will be enlarged but there will be a separate dining area with booths and tables for people who just want to sit down, relax, and enjoy some good food and drinks.

The theme will carry over to the beverage menu as well. “We’ll have Hippie Juice which is made with watermelon vodka, pink lemonade and a few other groovy ingredients that are the perfect balance of sweetness and tartness,” Chernesky said. “We’ll have some other specialty drinks too but we don’t want to go too crazy because it’s supposed to be very laid-back.”

For boaters who want to drop in for a meal, the Hippie Shack, just like Sea Hags before it, will have a half dozen boat slips available. It will also offer dog-friendly outdoor patio seating. The venue will be smoke-free except for the outdoor patio and tiki bar.

Chernesky isn’t the only former Sea Hags staffer to resurface at the Hippie Shack. Also remaining onboard is longtime employee Jessica Scarlett, who will be the Hippie Shack’s bar manager. She was hired by Sea Hags’ original owners more than a decade ago.

“Jess keeps the crew together,” Chernesky said. “She’s our mama hen. She knows all the regulars, their birthdays, what they like to drink, everything.” 

Deita Harris, a nine-year veteran of Sea Hags, has also returned to the fold. “I worked for Sea Hags for nine years. I started as a bartender after I moved here from New Mexico and just fell in love with it. I told myself, ‘I’m never leaving Sea Hags unless they close or fire me!’”

Other Sea Hags employees that have signed on to work at Hippie Shack include Shawnae Raymond, former bartender, who will be the Night Bar Manager at Hippie Shack and Demetri Fields, former kitchen staff, who will be the Kitchen Manager at Hippie Shack.

All five staffers said they had no idea that Sea Hags would reopen as the Hippie Shack when the bar and restaurant closed in June.

“Roger called me and said, ‘This is who I am. This is what I’m looking to do,’” Scarlett said. “He sounded nice. He sounded legit.” She then called Harris and suggested that they meet with French.

“And the rest is history,” Scarlett said. French, she added, splits his time between Iowa and Florida and was familiar with Sea Hags and the nearby marina because of his interest in boating.

On one of his recent trips to the area, he was in the process of buying a boat when a friend who works in real estate showed him the listing for Sea Hags.

“He fell in love with it,” Scarlett said. “The location, the water, the people … everything. He then reached out to everybody else and said, ‘Come on, let’s get the team back together.’”

The Hippie Shack will open in the next few weeks at 9555 Blind Pass Road in St. Pete Beach.

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