Good Night John Boy owners to open camping-inspired bar on Central Avenue

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Glamper, a camping-inspired restaurant and bar, is coming soon to 217 Central Avenue, from the owners of Good Night John Boy and Welcome to the Farm | St. Pete Rising

Nearly a year after being announced, Nauti Duchess, a nautical-themed bar and full-service restaurant that was set to take over 217 Central Avenue, never made it out of port.

But a new concept from Forward Hospitality Group, the owners of Good Night John Boy and Welcome to the Farm, is now slated to occupy the prime downtown location. Most recently, the space was home to Caddy’s on Central, which closed in 2020 after COVID-19 shut down all restaurants and bars in Florida. 

Glamper, according to Michael Schwartz of Forward Hospitality Group, is a bar inspired by camping, backyard cookouts, Fourth of July celebrations, and other summertime activities. Like Good Night John Boy and Welcome to the Farm, the concept debuted in Cleveland before coming to St. Pete.

“It’s like having a backyard Fourth of July party every day,” Schwartz said in an interview with St. Pete Rising. “It’ll be a mix of old and new — the umbrellas with fringe on them, Astroturf flooring, beach balls … that kind of atmosphere.”

The design of Glamper is inspired by camping, backyard cookouts, Fourth of July celebrations, and other summertime activities | Glamper

The Glamper location in Cleveland is closed for the season, having made way for a Christmas-themed bar, but its menu featured drinks such as Tito’s Fallen Apple, a cider infused with cinnamon and Tito’s vodka, and Happy Dad hard seltzer. In addition to those choices, a wide variety of canned and bottled beers will be available at Glamper when it opens in St. Pete.

“From a food perspective, we’ll have the type of stuff you’d eat on the Fourth of July,” Schwartz said. “So, barbecue, burgers, hot dogs, pizza, but we put a chef-driven twist on everything. We do everything with high-end products and try to use organic products whenever possible. Everything’s fresh, not frozen. We’ll have hand-cut fries, that kind of thing. We’ll have gluten-free and non-meat options, too, but with a Fourth of July twist.” 

Glamper’s décor and layout will include private seating areas that look like tents and a color scheme dominated by earth tones.  

“It’ll be light and airy,” Schwartz said. “If you went to a campground when you were a kid, and you are now 40-plus, it’s that kind of feel. Picnic tables and other fun kinds of furniture and that kind of thing.”

Music will be provided by a DJ, Schwartz added, and Glamper will have a “smallish dance floor” for patrons who want to boogie, but it won’t be a dance club, per se, like Good Night John Boy.

Forward Hospitality Group aims to have Glamper’s St. Pete location open by — you guessed it — the Fourth of July.

“That’s exactly our goal,” Schwartz said, “but hopefully it will be sooner. Hopefully we’ll open sometime in June and then have a big Fourth of July party.” 

For more information and updates, follow Glamper on Instagram and Facebook.