January 20, 2025

Oakberry Açai sets opening date for downtown St. Pete location

January 20, 2025/ Veronica Brezina

A Brazilian-born brand that specializes in açai bowls and smoothies has set an opening date for its first location in Tampa Bay.

Oakberry will welcome guests to its newest shop at 205 1st Street North in downtown St. Pete on Monday, January 27th. A grand opening is scheduled for 11:00 am on Saturday February 1st, where the first 100 customers will receive a free açai bowl.

The space that Oakberry occupies was formerly home to HaleLife Bakery, which relocated to the Warehouse Arts District last year.

The St. Pete shop is owned by local St. Pete resident Sarah Schermerton Murphy, who was introduced to the Oakberry brand while playing competitive volleyball matches in Brazil and California, where the company has a major presence.

January 16, 2025

33-story apartment tower 3rd & 3rd to begin vertical construction in downtown St. Pete

January 16, 2025/ Veronica Brezina

Vertical construction is imminent at downtown St. Pete’s next high-rise tower.

Next week, crews from KAST Construction will start pouring the foundation for 3rd & 3rd, a 33-story 262-unit apartment tower currently under construction in downtown St. Pete.

It’ll be one of the largest foundation pours ever completed in the city.

The main core mat foundation pour, consisting of 4,000 cubic yards of concrete, will commence on Friday January 24th at 8:00 p.m. and last between 12 to 14 hours.

The team estimates that roughly 380 to 420 concrete trucks will make their way through the project site located at 235 3rd Street South on the northwest corner of 3rd Avenue South and 3rd Street directly across from the Publix-anchored University Village shopping center.

January 16, 2025

Red Thread, serving flavors of the Silk Road, will open this month in downtown St. Pete

January 16, 2025/ Veronica Brezina

Red Thread, the hotly anticipated restaurant from the owners of Saigon Blonde, is expected to open on Sunday January 19th in the heart of downtown St. Pete.

The finishing touches are being put on the new upscale restaurant, located at 300 1st Avenue North, that will invite diners on a culinary journey to explore the rich tapestry of the ancient Silk Road.

More specifically, Red Thread will explore the diverse flavors of China, India, Persia, the Middle East, and the Mediterranean — all of the territories along the Silk Road, a network of trade routes spanning 4,000 miles connecting the East and West from the second century BCE until the mid-15th century.

January 13, 2025

Chef Chris Ponte announces opening date for modern Italian restaurant OLIVIA in St. Pete

January 13, 2025/ Veronica Brezina

Tampa Bay's prestigious Chef Chris Ponte has set an opening date for OLIVIA, a modern Italian restaurant coming to downtown St. Pete.

The 5,550-square-foot restaurant, which was announced in March 2023, will open on January 21st on the ground floor of the recently completed 36-story Ascent apartment and hotel tower at 225 1st Avenue North.

OLIVIA’s flagship Tampa location debuted in 2019 in Tampa and has garnered a loyal following for delivering all the authentic flavors of a traditional Italian trattoria with innovative, modern touches from the mind of Chef Ponte, a past nominee for the highly prestigious James Beard Foundation Award.

January 10, 2025

New SunRunner station opens by St. Pete Pier, PSTA launches "After Dark" service

January 10, 2025/ Veronica Brezina

A new SunRunner station has opened in downtown St. Pete, aiming to better connect residents and visitors to the St. Pete Pier District and businesses along Beach Drive.

Friday morning, the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority (PSTA), Congresswoman Kathy Castor, State Representative Lindsay Cross, St. Petersburg City Councilmembers, and others celebrated the ribbon-cutting for the new station at 150 1st Avenue North.

The 1st Avenue North station, which was completed in six months, is located near popular downtown restaurants and bars such as Who’s on First, Tequila Daisy, and Social Roost.

It's one of over 30 stops along the 10.3-mile bus rapid transit route that debuted in October 2022, linking downtown St. Petersburg to St. Pete Beach via dedicated lanes running along 1st Avenue North and 1st Avenue South.