HOSPITALITY, FOOD & BEVERAGE

New Culinary Additions

Food & Wine rated St. Petersburg as the #3 Under the Radar Next Great Food City. This comes as no surprise looking at Downtown. Recent culinary additions and announcements being made by local restaurant groups who are investing or reinvesting in St. Petersburg include:

Tim Curci, Tj Thielbar, Jeff Strouse

An urban spin on the locally owned successful North St. Petersburg restaurant Noble Crust, has opened on Central Avenue in the Grand Central District.

Craft Hospitality Group

The local Craft Hospitality Group has reopened longstanding Downtown staple, The Oyster Bar in Grand Central, west of its original Jannus block location.

Next Level Brands

A popular restaurant by Next Level Brands of Tampa, Forbici Modern Italian, is entering the Downtown St. Pete market, filling a 12,000 sq ft space in Sundial.

Hi Hospitality Group

Hi Hospitality Group has entered the Downtown St. Pete market, with their five-story Central Park Food Hall. The 28,000 sq ft building houses 10 dining concepts, a rooftop bar, private dining, event spaces and a members-only club.

Front Burner Brands

Tampa-based Front Burner Brands has returned to St. Petersburg, this time in Downtown, opening The Melting Pot on Central Avenue in 2025.

Jason Ruhe & Hope Montgomery

This Latin and Peruvian-inspired restaurant located in the Grand Central District is the third concept in St. Pete from the brilliant minds of Jason Ruhe and Hope Montgomery.

Downtown St. Pete holds a top spot in the region’s culinary scene. Nine of the 30 best restaurants in all of Tampa Bay, as named by the Tampa Bay Times, are located in Downtown. Further, three St. Petersburg restaurants were recognized in the 2025 Michelin Guide—all in Downtown.

2025 Michelin Guide Recognized Restaurants in St. Pete
Il Ritorno
Fortu
Sushi Sho Rexley
© City of St. Petersburg.
Photos by Maria Flanagan.

Downtown St. Petersburg Key Hotels

Becoming known for culinary offerings goes hand-in-hand with Downtown’s existing stronghold on Art & Culture visitors. Overnight guests are not disappointed. According to U.S. News & World Report, five of the top 10 hotels in St. Petersburg are located Downtown, including the #1 rated The Vinoy Resort & Golf Club, Autograph Collection.As a result of the area’s favorable performance, there are more hotel keys on the horizon, with a concentration in Downtown. More than one quarter of the projects in the county’s hotel pipeline are located Downtown.

29

HOTELS IN PINELLAS COUNTY’S PIPELINE*

7

HOTELS IN DOWNTOWN’S PIPELINE TOTALING 775 UNITS

225

Downtown Hotel Keys Under Construction

550

Downtown Hotel Keys PLANNED

40%

INCREASE OF DOWNTOWN’S EXISTING STOCK
Source: VSPC Dashboard
*Excludes proposed Gas Plant Redevelopment Keys

Proposed Hotels

The Sundial

A longstanding retail, hospitality and entertainment landmark of Downtown, The Sundial, is coming to the end of its multi-million dollar renovation. Owners Paradise Ventures and Ally Capital Group acquired the property in 2022 and began construction in 2024 to transform the site into a vibrant, modern gathering space, aspiring to be a true community destination that complements the impressive growth that surrounds it.



Joining Sundial is Forbici of NLB Hospitality in Hyde Park, as is Side Splitters, which is expanding from Carrollwood into St. Pete with a new comedy concept. Health and wellness service providers Prenuvo and Serotonin Centers are open, and existing tenant Jackie Z is expanding its boutique space.



The significant courtyard renovation invites foot traffic, making it a destination in itself, further supported by the Drift Bar. Regular programming will activate the courtyard space, with the ultimate vision being an open, flexible common area with seating, gathering pockets and a small stage that invites a diverse talent mix.

Lifestyle

Greenspace

Greenspace is a defining characteristic of Downtown St. Pete’s identity and contributes to the overarching health and wellbeing of our City.

LEARN MORE
Downtown's Creative Identity

A variety of assets contribute to the unique and vibrant feeling that emanates from live music halls, performance venues, street buskers, museums, galleries and murals on building facades.

LEARN MORE
Downtown Improvement District

Over the past 10 years, Downtown’s workforce has grown by 36% and its residential base by 24%. With that volume of growth comes the positives associated with achieving critical mass, but it also brings a need for enhanced curb appeal, cleanliness and hospitality support — above and beyond standard City services.

LEARN MORE
Districts

Downtown St. Pete and its surrounding districts form a dynamic tapestry of culture, history, innovation and community. Each district offers a distinct personality shaped by the people, businesses and stories that call it home.

LEARN MORE
Mobility

Mobility is crucial to any urban center’s success. St. Petersburg’s favorable mobility ratings, with a Redfin Walkscore of 90 and Bikescore of 93, far exceed their downtown peers per the International Downtown Association.

LEARN MORE

New Culinary Additions

Food & Wine rated St. Petersburg as the #3 Under the Radar Next Great Food City. This comes as no surprise looking at Downtown. Recent culinary additions and announcements being made by local restaurant groups who are investing or reinvesting in St. Petersburg include:

Tim Curci, Tj Thielbar, Jeff Strouse

An urban spin on the locally owned successful North St. Petersburg restaurant Noble Crust, has opened on Central Avenue in the Grand Central District.

Craft Hospitality Group

The local Craft Hospitality Group has reopened longstanding Downtown staple, The Oyster Bar in Grand Central, west of its original Jannus block location.

Next Level Brands

A popular restaurant by Next Level Brands of Tampa, Forbici Modern Italian, is entering the Downtown St. Pete market, filling a 12,000 sq ft space in Sundial.

Hi Hospitality Group

Hi Hospitality Group has entered the Downtown St. Pete market, with their five-story Central Park Food Hall. The 28,000 sq ft building houses 10 dining concepts, a rooftop bar, private dining, event spaces and a members-only club.

Front Burner Brands

Tampa-based Front Burner Brands has returned to St. Petersburg, this time in Downtown, opening The Melting Pot on Central Avenue in 2025.

Jason Ruhe & Hope Montgomery

This Latin and Peruvian-inspired restaurant located in the Grand Central District is the third concept in St. Pete from the brilliant minds of Jason Ruhe and Hope Montgomery.

Downtown St. Pete holds a top spot in the region’s culinary scene. Nine of the 30 best restaurants in all of Tampa Bay, as named by the Tampa Bay Times, are located in Downtown. Further, three St. Petersburg restaurants were recognized in the 2025 Michelin Guide—all in Downtown.

2025 Michelin Guide Recognized Restaurants in St. Pete
Il Ritorno
Fortu
Sushi Sho Rexley
© City of St. Petersburg.
Photos by Maria Flanagan.

Downtown St. Petersburg Key Hotels

Becoming known for culinary offerings goes hand-in-hand with Downtown’s existing stronghold on Art & Culture visitors. Overnight guests are not disappointed. According to U.S. News & World Report, five of the top 10 hotels in St. Petersburg are located Downtown, including the #1 rated The Vinoy Resort & Golf Club, Autograph Collection.As a result of the area’s favorable performance, there are more hotel keys on the horizon, with a concentration in Downtown. More than one quarter of the projects in the county’s hotel pipeline are located Downtown.

29

HOTELS IN PINELLAS COUNTY’S PIPELINE*

7

HOTELS IN DOWNTOWN’S PIPELINE TOTALING 775 UNITS

225

Downtown Hotel Keys Under Construction

550

Downtown Hotel Keys PLANNED

40%

INCREASE OF DOWNTOWN’S EXISTING STOCK
Source: VSPC Dashboard
*Excludes proposed Gas Plant Redevelopment Keys

Proposed Hotels

The Sundial

A longstanding retail, hospitality and entertainment landmark of Downtown, The Sundial, is coming to the end of its multi-million dollar renovation. Owners Paradise Ventures and Ally Capital Group acquired the property in 2022 and began construction in 2024 to transform the site into a vibrant, modern gathering space, aspiring to be a true community destination that complements the impressive growth that surrounds it.



Joining Sundial is Forbici of NLB Hospitality in Hyde Park, as is Side Splitters, which is expanding from Carrollwood into St. Pete with a new comedy concept. Health and wellness service providers Prenuvo and Serotonin Centers are open, and existing tenant Jackie Z is expanding its boutique space.



The significant courtyard renovation invites foot traffic, making it a destination in itself, further supported by the Drift Bar. Regular programming will activate the courtyard space, with the ultimate vision being an open, flexible common area with seating, gathering pockets and a small stage that invites a diverse talent mix.

Lifestyle

Greenspace

Greenspace is a defining characteristic of Downtown St. Pete’s identity and contributes to the overarching health and wellbeing of our City.

LEARN MORE
Downtown's Creative Identity

A variety of assets contribute to the unique and vibrant feeling that emanates from live music halls, performance venues, street buskers, museums, galleries and murals on building facades.

LEARN MORE
Downtown Improvement District

Over the past 10 years, Downtown’s workforce has grown by 36% and its residential base by 24%. With that volume of growth comes the positives associated with achieving critical mass, but it also brings a need for enhanced curb appeal, cleanliness and hospitality support — above and beyond standard City services.

LEARN MORE
Districts

Downtown St. Pete and its surrounding districts form a dynamic tapestry of culture, history, innovation and community. Each district offers a distinct personality shaped by the people, businesses and stories that call it home.

LEARN MORE
Mobility

Mobility is crucial to any urban center’s success. St. Petersburg’s favorable mobility ratings, with a Redfin Walkscore of 90 and Bikescore of 93, far exceed their downtown peers per the International Downtown Association.

LEARN MORE