November 27, 2019

Hoots, a Fast-Casual Restaurant by Hooters, to Open on Downtown’s Jannus Block

November 27, 2019/ Brian Zucker

The company behind Hooters, the original “breastaurant”, will be opening one of the first locations of their new fast-casual concept, Hoots: A Hooters Joint, at 201 1st Avenue North in Downtown St Pete. The space is situated directly outside the entrance to Jannus Live and was formerly home to Jannus Market, a convenience store.

In an effort to attract a wider audience, specifically families and millennials, Hooters developed a concept called Hoots back in 2017. In addition to being fast-casual, where customers order from the counter instead of sit down for table service, Hoots also sets itself apart from Hooters by having their staff don a much more modest outfit compared to the traditional short shorts and low-cut top. Additionally, Hoots will be hiring both men and women, something Hooters has gotten flack for in the past.

October 31, 2019

Local Entrepreneurs to Transform Medical Building into Trendy Office and Restaurant

October 31, 2019/ Anthony Close

Two local entrepreneurs, Trevor Burgess and Jon Carlon, recently closed on the purchase of five lots in Downtown St. Pete with a vision to revitalize the block into trendy office space with a new ‘Celebrity Chef’ restaurant.

TRB Development, which is controlled by Burgess and Carlon, purchased the land at the southeast corner of 4th Avenue South and 6th Street South in two separate transactions for a combined $2.3 million. The first purchase occurred on August 13th for $1.6 million for three lots along 4th Avenue South while the second purchase, for two lots fronting 6th Street South, occurred on October 4th for $670 thousand.

The site is the location of a former 5,200 square foot BayCare medical office building, which closed earlier this year. That building, and surrounding lots, will be transformed into a corporate office for TRB Development and Neptune Flood, another company controlled by Burgess and Carlon.

October 11, 2019

Greenstock to Serve Up Chef-Inspired Salads in Downtown St Pete

October 11, 2019/ Shannon Gasper

Downtown St. Pete is chock full of great food. Whether you’re looking to grab a slice of pizza or indulge in fine dining, the options are plentiful. Yet, there are (surprisingly!) very few places to get food that is both quick and healthy.

For years I’ve been hoping for a fast-casual salad restaurant in Downtown St. Pete and now it seems I wasn’t the only one. This fall, a brand new salad concept will be joining the downtown dining scene from local restauranteurs Erica and David Benstock, along with Brooke and Peter Boyd, owners of Hype Group and Boyd Construction, respectively.

Greenstock will be located at 449 Central Avenue in a space formerly occupied by Kalamazoo Olive Oil Company and a few steps away from IL Ritorno, a modern Italian eatery the Benstock’s opened back in 2013.

September 24, 2019

Annata Alum to Open Restaurant and Wine Bar on Jannus Block

September 24, 2019/ Brian Zucker

Thousands of people walk down the 200 block of Central Avenue every day. Passing by Caddy’s and Mandarin Hide, then by Oyster Bar and Central Cigars. Yet I’m willing to bet that most of you have never ventured down the dimly lit corridor and up a set of stairs nestled between Five Bucks Drinkery and Del Mar Gastro Lounge. Maybe you’ve walked by it hundreds of times without even noticing it was there.

Currently the narrow passage leads to the St. Pete Tattoo Company and a recently shuttered wine bar. However, in a few months, you’ll have a reason to never pass that little alley ever again.

Chris Ciarcia, the former manager of Annata Wine Bar on Beach Drive, will debut Sauvignon: Wine Locker and American Trattoria, an all-new concept he has developed just for Downtown St. Pete, in a spot previously occupied by A Taste For Wine at 241 Central Avenue.

September 20, 2019

Celebrity Chef Announces Italian Restaurant for Downtown St. Pete

September 20, 2019/ Anthony Close

The First Block of Downtown St. Pete has always been a center for nightlife in the downtown core. It’s the epicenter of downtown’s wildly popular monthly First Friday event, providing a little something for everyone at bars such as Mandarin Hide, Five Bucks Drinkery, and Pelican Pub. But many people who visit the First Block often gaze across Central Avenue and see unactivated space.

On the south side of the First Block lies 200 Central, a 26-story, 295,000 square foot Class A office tower that is home to companies like iQor, Merrill Lynch, and Trenam Law, among others. The building is also the tallest office tower in St. Pete and Pinellas County.

While the ground floor was originally envisioned as retail or restaurant space, it has been used as office space for decades. Until recently, the majority of the office tower’s Central Avenue frontage was home to a Raymond James & Associates office.

However this will soon change with the introduction of a high-end Italian restaurant being developed by Nocturnal Hospitality Group and a celebrity chef from Bravo’s “Top Chef” TV show.