Maple Street Biscuit Company in downtown St. Pete will soon become a new breakfast and brunch destination following a change in ownership.

Parent company Cracker Barrel announced Tuesday that it has sold Maple Street Biscuit Company to Louisville, Kentucky-based breakfast chain Biscuit Belly. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

As part of the acquisition, 16 Maple Street locations will close while Biscuit Belly will assume ownership of the remaining 35, including the restaurant at 662 Central Avenue in downtown St. Pete.

The acquired locations will be renovated and rebranded as Biscuit Belly restaurants over the next 18 to 24 months, with the first conversions expected to begin in January 2027. The deal will more than triple Biscuit Belly's footprint, bringing the chain to roughly 60 locations.

After serving patrons and sports fans for a decade, the popular local hangout Thirsty First will permanently close its doors.

Thirsty First, which has been a staple of downtown St. Petersburg’s nightlife scene since 2016, announced it will close the bar and restaurant at 515 Central Avenue.

A final celebration amongst friends and loyal guests will be held on Sunday, July 26, owner Greg Mikurak announced on Facebook and Instagram Monday evening.  

“When I opened Thirsty First, I hoped to build a great sports bar. What I never expected was to build a community and a family,” wrote Mikurak.

“Over the last decade, I've watched first dates turn into marriages, strangers become lifelong friends, championship celebrations shake the walls, and thousands of people choose to spend some of the best moments of their lives with us,” he continued. “We've celebrated victories, survived difficult times, and made memories that I'll carry with me forever.”

A new fast-casual seafood restaurant specializing in shrimp dishes and ahi tuna bowls is coming to the EDGE District of downtown St. Pete.

Shaka Shrimp Kitchen is expected to open by the end of the year at 911 Central Avenue, replacing Buya Ramen, which closed last August after nine years in business.

The restaurant takes its name from the "shaka" hand gesture, a symbol commonly associated with friendliness, and gratitude.

Co-owner Ronan McCaffrey said the concept draws inspiration from Polynesian culture, helping shape the restaurant's relaxed, “come as you are” philosophy.

The menu will center around shrimp prepared in a variety of styles, alongside ahi tuna bowls.

All of the restaurant's dressings and sauces, such as garlic butter, coconut, and chili lime, will be made in-house.

Guests will order at the counter before staff deliver meals to their tables. A self-serve beverage station will also be available.

“We want to highlight shrimp through different cooking methods, entrees, and sauces,” McCaffrey said in a conversation with St. Pete Rising. “Shrimp is the most consumed seafood product in the United States.”

A former SunTrust bank property in Seminole could soon be redeveloped into a Dutch Bros Coffee shop and a new PNC Bank.

During a June 23 Seminole City Council workshop, council members unanimously authorized City Manager Ann Toney-Deal to negotiate and finalize a development agreement with real estate group Paradise Ventures for the property at 7405 Seminole Boulevard.

A previous version of the agreement called for demolishing the 10,000-square-foot SunTrust Bank building and constructing a new PNC Bank in its place.

Previous plans also called for Greenlane, a healthy drive-thru salad chain, to occupy a second building on the site.

However, after Greenlane withdrew from the project, Paradise Ventures secured Dutch Bros Coffee as its replacement.