A new halal spot is coming to Temple Terrace, Bad Mother cafe debuts in St. Pete, and more in Tampa Bay foodie news | Openings & Closings | Tampa
bad mother Located inside downtown St. Pete’s Station House, a multi-faceted co-working building, Bad Mother celebrated its grand opening on Saturday August 6th. and offers a variety of seating among Station House’s various co-working spaces and private offices. Every six weeks, the multi-roaster cafe will feature a different roaster behind its bar, as it currently offers beans from Pinellas Park-based Eastlick Coffee Co. Customers can order a variety of espresso drinks like lattes, americanos, and cortados alongside coffee, iced coffee, and teas like Thai iced tea, matcha, and oolong chai. The sweet treats and other small plates available at Bad Mother are provided by the Burg’s resident bagel slinger, Pete’s General. In addition to local beers, Bad Mother also offers a menu of five specialty coffees from around the world. The new cafe in downtown St. Pete is now open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday. 260 1st Ave. S, St. Petersburg. @badmother_stpete on Instagram
Abu Omar Halal Looks like the rest of Tampa Bay is finally catching on to Temple Terrace’s growing dining scene. Known for its shawarma, skewers and falafels, Abu Omar Halal sets his sights on the Sunshine State. The first food truck opened in 2011 in Houston and has expanded to over 20 other locations in Texas and California. Although the restaurant is currently in its soft opening phase, a grand opening is scheduled for Saturday, August 13 from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. During this period, customers will receive 25% off chicken sandwiches and arabi shawarmas and free kunafeh – a traditional Middle Eastern dessert, while supplies last. The first 50 people in line receive a free meal and everyone who attends the grand opening will be entered into a raffle for multiple prizes. The full menu includes a variety of sandwiches and shawarmas, rice and salad bowls, desserts and more. Online ordering is also an option for those in a hurry. 12208 N 56th St., Temple Terrace. Abuomarhalal.com — Alexandria Jones
Closures
Dunn’s Bakery The small-batch vegan bakery may have closed its Clearwater storefront at 2340 FL-580 last week, but thankfully its customers need not worry as Dunn Bakery has moved its operations online. Known for its gluten-free brownies and made-to-order cakes, customers can now head to dunnbaked.com to place their orders. People can now get Dunn Baked’s decadent vegan brownies, cookies, cakes, cinnamon rolls and s’mores bars, in addition to its gluten-free items like lemon sugar cookies and custard cupcakes. orange, delivered directly to their doorstep. Besides its now closed brick and mortar, Dunn Bakery’s sweet treats were often sold at other local vegan restaurants, such as Dunedin Vegan Deli. According Dunn Baked’s Facebook suggests placing your order by Thursday evening for timely delivery over the weekend. dunnbaked.com
Punky’s Bar & Grill After seven years in the booming Grand Central District of downtown St. Petersburg, Punky’s Bar and Grill has suddenly closed its doors. His last day of activity was Wednesday, August 3. In a farewell letter posted to Punky’s Facebook, owners Lynn Deibert and John Burt honored the legacy of their queer hideaway. “We have become a place of safety for the LGBTQ+ community, a melting pot for people from ALL walks of life…and their pets! We celebrated victories, survived struggles, mourned losses and came together to help each other and the community,” the post read. The statement also points out that Punky’s has raised over $150,000 for various local charities over the years. Its owners are also helping their employees find new jobs following the restaurant’s sudden closure, in addition to distributing leftover food from the kitchen to former employees. Only time will tell which new companies will occupy the space of the old Punky. 3063 Central Avenue, St. Petersburg. punkysbar.com
Events
Great St. Pete Cupcake Contest Returning for its 11th year, Morean Art Center embarks on an arduous journey to find the best cupcake in all of The Burg’, when its annual Great St. Pete Cupcake Contest returns on Saturday, August 27. First and second place winners in each category – including Novice, Professional, Specialty (which includes Vegan and Gluten-Free), Youth/Teen, and “People’s Choice” – receive prizes. Cupcakes will be judged on their frosting, flavor, texture, presentation and creativity. And if you’re just interested in the food part, general and early admission tickets are available at blackbaudhosting.com and range from $10 to $25. Early admission gets you into the event an hour earlier, but both ticketing tiers have the option of picking up a 12-pack or 24-pack cupcakes to take home. People who wish to compete can complete the candidate registration form, pay the $10 registration feeand mentally prepare to bake at least 200 mini cupcakes for event attendees to taste. 420 22nd St. S, St. Petersburg. moreanartscenter.org
Rhythm & Brews by the Bay After a two-year hiatus and a slight name change, the Florida Aquarium is finally bringing back one of Tampa’s best nights, as ’90s alternative rockers Gin Blossoms headline the install next month. Rhythm & Brews by the Bay — a concert experience with unlimited beer tastings — returns to downtown Tampa on Friday, September 16. There are $125 general admission tickets and $175 VIP tickets on sale at flaquarium.org. Both ticket tiers come with unlimited local beer samples, a free mug of beer, access to live music, panoramic views of Hillsborough Bay and all the creatures in the aquarium, but VIP tickets offer giving guests early access, plus a free bar and dedicated concert viewing area. Gin Blossoms are no strangers to the Tampa Bay area, as the five-piece band brought standout songs like “Hey Jealousy” and “Til I Hear it From You” to the Palladium Theater in St. Petersburg last fall. . 701 Channelside Dr., Tampa. flaquarium.org
ICYMI
Tampa Chick-fil-A owner fined for violating child labor laws A local Chick-fil-A is facing a stiff penalty after authorities discovered middle-aged employees were overworked. On August 2, a Tampa Chick-fil-A franchise, located at 2551 N Dale Mabry Hwy., was fined by the US Department of Labor (DOL) for violating child labor laws. Investigators found that between Labor Day and June 1, the fast-food restaurant, which is owned by Brito Enterprises of Tampa Inc., allowed 17 workers, ages 14 and 15, to work after 7 p.m. or more than three hours during a school day. . Due to the violation of the child labor provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act, the franchise owner was fined $12,478 in civil penalties. —Max Steele
Dave Sunday explains why he closed his popular grocery store in Ybor City In its 11th year in business, Sunday’s Delicatessen took to social media two weeks ago to announce the imminent closure of the popular Ybor City restaurant. Sunday and his wife Gina, who usually worked at the register, returned from vacation on June 19 and found their endless days at the deli were wearing them down. “About a month ago, we went on a cruise and took our first vacation in seven years. We just looked at each other and were like, ‘what are we doing?'” Sunday said. , 50, to Creative Loafing. He says the first eight years of Sunday’s Delicatessen have flown by, but the last two have lasted a decade. Although we are unable to reveal details of the sale, we can soon expect a new concept to open in the historic space in Ybor City, located between 7th + Grove and Chill Bros. Scoop Shop Its new owners have also purchased all the equipment inside the deli, so it’s safe to assume another catering business will soon be opening in the former Sunday space. 1930 E 7th Avenue, Tampa. sundaydelicatessen.com
World of Beer could help feed manatees Tampa Bay now home to a partnership celebrating the cornerstones of life in Florida: drinking beer and saving the manatees. Tampa-born World of Beer has partnered with Florida’s Fish and Wildlife Foundation to restore manatee habitats along the Indian River Lagoon with a new IPA. For every secret llama Oh the Humanatee! Imperial Hazy IPA purchased at select WOB locations, $1 will go directly to planting seagrass at 10 key locations along the lagoon and manatee feeding grounds. The partnership began amid efforts by the nonprofit Fish and Wildlife Foundation of Florida to address the state’s manatee crisis. Manatee habitat and food sources have been in decline for years, Michelle Ashton, the foundation’s communications director, told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay. Algal blooms in Florida water sources and other contributing factors, including pollution from storm water and nitrogen runoff, are the main causes. “Partnering with World of Beer is really about finding that long-term solution and it’s really habitat restoration,” Ashton told CL. worldofbeer.com—Chloe Greenberg
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