The Official Unofficial Seminole Heights Blog

From Tampabay.com

From the St. Petersburg Times/TBT

SEMINOLE HEIGHTS — The cliches about Florida, Hillsborough and Nebraska avenues still abound — the used car lots, the cheap motels, the colorful grit. But new life is breaking through cracks in Seminole Heights’ ugly urban corridors.

It’s all supposed to happen this year:

A onetime auto repair shop will become a Spanish tapas restaurant, a British pub and a sushi bar.

An old gas station will serve international brews on draft.

And two vacant lots will give way to al fresco dining and a sports bar.

As residents clamor to City Council wet-zoning meetings, voicing just how desperate they’ve been for neighborhood dining, Mike Merino thinks back on his own deli, which closed just a few months ago.

And he wonders: Will the neighborhood be able to support six new establishments?

• • •

Every morning he drives along Florida Avenue, the vacant Merino’s Deli storefront stares him in the face.

It started off strong.

He opened it in January 2007, wanting to capitalize on the influx of new residents in the neighborhood. He hung photos of his Italian family on the wall and invited his customers to do the same.

Merino’s Deli became what he wanted it to be, a neighborhood lunch spot with character, where regulars ordered “the usual” from a sandwichmaker named “Mama.”

But parking became a problem in the lot Merino shared with an auto repair shop.

Its original owner had worked out a schedule that offered Merino the spaces he needed. But a year later, when that owner sold the building to someone else, a tow truck moved in, and the deli lost its parking.

People then had to park a block away and walk, Merino said. His business started to decline.

When he canvassed the neighborhood with fliers, he got a new influx of customers who said they didn’t know his place existed. Business increased, but only for a short time. Wall Street tanked and people just stopped coming. On Nov. 1, 2008, Merino’s Deli closed.

These days, Merino is looking for a job. He says he could re-open his deli in one day, but not in Seminole Heights.

“I’d be scared to,” he said. “The pie is only so big.”

• • •

Let’s talk about this idea of the proverbial pie being sliced too thin. Will the restaurants all be starved for little pieces of the same neighborhood?

California-based restaurant consultant Ron Santibanez, whose national client list includes Disneyland and A&W Restaurants, doesn’t see a pie. He sees a magnet.

“They’re strengthening their marketing through numbers,” he said. “They feel like they’re trying to create a destination location.”

People like choices, he said. Sometimes, they’ll go to a food destination and then decide where to eat. Variety is good. Competition is good.

His only concern with Seminole Heights is whether the neighborhoods alone can support the restaurants.

Census data from a decade ago showed that residents in Seminole Heights neighborhoods earned lower than the city’s average of $22,010 at the time. The community has undergone somewhat of a makeover since then with increased home values that indicate higher-earning neighbors. Still, Santibanez urges the new restaurants to reach outside the neighborhoods for clients and to include price points that will fit everyone’s budgets.

Cheaper options are keeping restaurants afloat in this tough economic climate, he says. People want to feel like they’re getting a bargain, but they still want the luxury of eating out. Mid-priced is the way to go.

The neighborhood is already home to a few restaurants. On Fridays, Cappy’s Pizza is packed. And on Saturday mornings, people line up at the Three Coins diner just to get a table.

“Sometimes people will sit around the dinner table figuring out how to pay their bills,” Santibanez says. “Then they’ll get up and say, ‘What the heck? Let’s go out to eat.’ “

• • •

At first, Melissa Deming admits she was a little nervous about six places opening at the same time in a neighborhood not used to supporting that many. But the owner of Ella’s, an upcoming Americana folk art cafe on Nebraska, thought, “I think it’ll be great. There are going to be a variety of things. It will make the neighborhood a destination.”

It helps that some of the restaurants have already established themselves in other neighborhoods.

The Independent, an international brew pub, has a popular location in St. Petersburg. And people still remember Sangria’s, the tapas restaurant formerly in SoHo now set to open next to the Hillsborough Avenue Starbucks.

Sangria’s owner John Obediente actually wants to mimic his restaurant’s last home by creating a small version of its old corner, complete with a pub and a sushi bar. Obediente is counting on both neighbors and non-neighbors to frequent his restaurants.

The Independent will specifically be a neighborhood pub, owner Veronica Vellines says. Others will, of course, come. But she decided on this location because residents are starved for a cool place to hang out.

“We’re going there for Seminole Heights,” she says.

And if the neighborhood turnout to support her pub at a recent City Council meeting is any indication, the Independent’s bar will be lined with residents.

Ingrid Smith, who lives a few blocks away, says she’ll walk there. And another resident, Ben Mills, says the bar is what he has been waiting for. “It’s so long coming,” he said at the hearing.

With each of the six restaurants receiving the same kind of support from the neighborhood, Merino just hopes those people step up to sustain them.

“Maybe what happened to me is a good thing,” Merino says. “You’ve got to support things. You’ve got to go to them. You’ve got to put your money where your mouth is.”

Alexandra Zayas can be reached at azayas@sptimes.com or (813) 226-3354.

SEMINOLE HEIGHTS - Owners of a proposed German-style deli and tavern won initial approval from the city council Thursday to sell beer and wine.

A final vote is scheduled Feb. 5.

Veronica and John Vellines have a contract to buy a 1935 masonry building, 5016 N. Florida Ave., from owner James Ciaccio, pending final approval of alcohol sales. Ciaccio remodeled the former gas station several years ago and opened Van Gogh Signs Displays and Graphics.

The tavern would be similar to The Independent in St. Petersburg, also owned by the Vellines. It would seat about 40 people inside and 18 outside, and serve mostly Belgian and German drafts and imported and micro brews in the bottle.

Veronica Vellines said July would be the earliest date for opening in Seminole Heights. The couple likely will also call this tavern The Independent.

The license being sought is for beer and wine on premises, with no package sales.

A joint land-use committee of three Seminole Heights neighborhood groups supported the application if closing hours are no later than midnight Sunday through Wednesday, and 1 a.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Any music would have to end one hour before closing.

“We support this whole-heartedly,” said Gary Ellsworth, president of South Seminole Heights Civic Association. “We appreciate their efforts to keep this a viable building.”

Other neighbors spoke in support of the alcohol license.

But owners of Bungalow Bistro questioned the council’s consistency in awarding alcohol licenses. Michael and Elizabeth Graham were approved several months ago for alcohol sales at their Florida Avenue restaurant, which is within a block and a half of the proposed tavern.

Michael Graham noted his restaurant was approved to stay open until 1 a.m. on Friday and Saturday, while The Independent owners have the same closing time on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

The Grahams raised similar objections when council earlier discussed beer, wine and liquor sales at Ella’s, a restaurant under construction on Nebraska Avenue at Shadowlawn Avenue. Council members continued the hearing on that application until Feb. 19 to allow owner Melissa Deming to revise her site plan.

“I’d just like some consistency,” Michael Graham said. “I don’t want my business affected because someone can stay open later and I wasn’t allowed to.”

Councilman John Dingfelder said each application is different. “If we don’t treat you exactly the same, there might be some reasons for it.”

Reporter Kathy Steele can be reached at (813) 259-7652.
http://centraltampa2.tbo.com/content/2009/jan/28/couple-aims-open-seminole-heights-tavern/

Over the weekend, I was able to record and watch the City Council Hearing. What I saw was a passionate business owner– who is not eloquent in speaking. I felt that the Grahams both were asking for some sort of fairness in the way the city is handling the wet zoning issue. If you recall the countless hours, dollars and meetings that this establishment went through to get opened, I think that frustration may have come out as she watched the new restaurants asking for many things she was denied.  After watching both hearings, Ella’s and the Independent, I felt that the objections raised by the Bistro owners were somewhat justified. After many neighbors crucified
Elizabeth after the hearing, I emailed Elizabeth to offer her a chance to explain. Often times, a misunderstood intention can be easier to explain in writing.

Many may recall the issues our city faces with inconsistencies with other city departments. We hear of these issues almost on a daily basis–Code Enforcement, Police, Parks…and the list goes on. How many times have our neighbors said “I would bet that would never happen in South Tampa. ” or “They did that in South Tampa why can’t we”? We are all to familiar with the unfair practices that our zoning and code have already created. After driving by the Bistro, I can’t seem to see why her circumstances would warrant a different verdict than the others. I think the wisest thing to do would be start with consistency from the beginning. Once you start bending the rules, you are opening yourself up for head aches. Here is her response:
___________

Dear Seminole Heights,
 
Please let me explain and clarify any misunderstandings.
 
I was trying to express my frustration and confusion about the unfairness of the business hours dictated by the city counsel. I apologize if I offended anyone. I just wanted to express my fears of losing any kind of ability to compete in a tough economy. Maybe I didn’t put the words together in the best way, but I am not trying to at all to hurt anyone.
 
I have owned a business on Florida Avenue for 8 years. I lived in the neighborhood for 19 years and still own a home here. Many years of my life were spent volunteering time on the commercial redeveloping committee for the business corridor. As a founding member of the business guild and past president, I welcome new business into Seminole Heights. I am a firm believer that the more choices in this area, the more of a destination we will become.
 
My concern is not with Ella’s or the Independent so much as the city council and their lack of consistency in policy making. I had to struggle for every square inch of zoning for parking for seating and for hours of operation. It is not like they made a decision years ago about my business. They set the standard a couple of months ago and are now changing it again for the next business to go before them. What next? If you have ever owned a business, you should understand the value of a level playing field. I can control the quality of my product and service, but I can not control restrictions or the lack of restrictions on hours, and incidentals like music. My customers would have enjoyed live music on New Year’s Eve or the ability to sip a glass of wine or champagne after one o’clock. The council does not permit that at Bungalow Bistro.
 
It is not a simple matter of saying “please, can I have the same opportunity as a neighboring business.” Getting a zoning change is time-consuming, very costly and requires hiring an attorney to navigate the process.
 
If I came off as emotional about this issue at council, it is because I am. I put blood, sweat and tears into my businesses vision. Consistency is not just important to the business owners who need to stay competitive. It is also important for the quality of life in this wonderful neighborhood of Seminole Heights.
 
I greatly appreciate your support.
 
Respectfully,
Elizabeth Graham

Ella’s was continued for 4 weeks because of a modification to the site plan that will double the seating on the outdoor deck. Public comment was heard and there were several people in favor and only two people in opposition (husband/wife). The three neighborhood associations provided a joint letter of support which detailed the conditions for hours of operation that were agreed to.

The Independent received first reading approval for their wetzoning. The associations again submitted a joint letter of support containing the same conditions as Ella’s. During public comment there were several people in favor and three in opposition including an adjacent landowner concerned about trash and parking, and the same couple opposed to Ella’s. Second reading will be in two weeks.

The conditions on hours were:
Sunday - Wednesday until midnight;
Thursday - Saturday until 1:00am;
Seven specified holidays until 2:00am (ie New Years, July 4th, etc);
Outdoor live music to cease 1 hour before closing.

Randy Baron

From the St. Petersburg Times; This will be in tomorrows papers.

SEMINOLE HEIGHTS — Four years ago, Veronica and John Vellines opened a small pub just off Central Avenue in downtown St. Petersburg, creating an instant buzz by serving handcrafted beer and wine for connoisseurs and the curious.

They’ve had their eye on Tampa a while and have settled on a former gas station dating to 1935 for a second location of the Independent. They have a contract to buy the building at 5016 N Florida Ave. in Seminole Heights, which now houses a graphic design studio.

Closing is scheduled for next month. The Vellines and the building’s current owner are scheduled to go before the City Council next Thursday in hopes of changing the zoning to allow alcohol sales.

The Vellines gained the support of the three area neighborhood associations, after meeting last week to discuss operating hours (to midnight on weeknights and 1 a.m. on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays) and the couple’s business plan. The bar will sell Belgian and German beers, along with specialty microbrews and wines produced from small, independent wineries.

“As of now, we don’t know of any opposition,” Veronica Vellines said last week. “We’re going to try our best to see if there is any before the hearing. … We have e-mails from a lot of people who are very excited.

“We have wanted to expand to Tampa and noticed that the neighborhood didn’t really have a neighborhood spot with good beers. We heard through the grapevine that that was something on the top of people’s lists.”

The St. Petersburg location of the Independent doesn’t serve food, but that will not be the case in Seminole Heights. Vellines said she and her husband have even considered opening for lunch on weekends. At 2,700 square feet, the new Independent will be twice the size of the other one.

“It’s going to be a neighborhood gathering place,” she said. “We picture people showing up with dogs and kids on the weekend, having a couple of really nice beers, a sandwich. No television; it (will be) more of a meeting and discussion place.

“Our mantra is ‘Beer, Wine, Music, Thought.’ In this case there will be food, too.”

If the zoning change is successful and the purchase goes through, Vellines said she aims for the Independent to open by late summer.

Pizzaiolo Bavaro hopes for Super Bowl start

Dan Bavaro is frantically working to get his new high-end pizza restaurant up and running by Super Bowl Sunday.

He plans to open Pizzaiolo Bavaro at 514 N Franklin St. during the last week of January. The handcrafted custom brick oven, dough mixer, floor tiles and tableware were due to arrive from Naples, Italy, this week.

“We’re pushing really hard,” said Bavaro, who recently moved to Tampa from New York. “It’s a three-month buildout project, and (the contractors) are trying to do it in a month and a half.”

Bavaro aims to offer authentic Naples-style pizza to sit-down diners in a 1,200-square-foot space (no slices, no delivery).

Downtown salon will consolidate, update

Kendra and Co., a salon that Kendra Herrington York opened downtown eight years ago, is getting a facelift and a new name.

The salon at 403 W Grand Central Ave. is scheduled to close today for almost two weeks for remodeling. When it reopens it will be known as Kendra Diaz, A Salon on Grand Central. York has partnered with her friend of 23 years, Ronnie Diaz, who has spent 17 years at Styles and Co. on W Cypress Street.

“With this economy, we’re merging together and looking to build a great salon,” York said. “A lot of salons are folding.”

Do you know something that should be everybody’s business? Call (813) 226-3394 or e-mail sharonlginn@yahoo.com. By Sharon Ginn, Times Correspondent

We have received communications from potential business owners in our neighborhood, who currently own and operate “The Independent” in downtown St Petersburg , and wish to purchase the Van Gogh Building located at 5016 N Florida Ave.   Their intentions are to open a neighborhood pub serving food and world class beer and wine.

They will be requesting what is called a 2 COP wet zoning, which will allow the sale of beer and wine for consumption on premises and for package sales for off premises consumption.  They will sell food as well, but it will most likely not be at least 51% of their sales, which would be a requirement for a restaurant alcohol license.

The owners will be meeting with the Joint Seminole Heights Neighborhoods Land-Use Committee, where they will present plans for their operation including parking requirements. They have requested hours until 1am Sunday through Thursday and until 2am Friday and Saturday. (This originally said Sunday. However, I think it was meant to read Saturday. If I have edited incorrectly, please notify.)  The Committee will make a recommendation back to our Board of Directors, and we look for comments you may have concerning this re-zoning request.  Please email your comments to President Gary Ellsworth at tampa.gary@verizon.net

The Land-Use Committee will meet on January 5^th.  The first public hearing before Tampa City Council will be January 15^th.

Notice:  This notice is not to be considered a LEGAL PUBLIC NOTICE, and is only a communication from SSHCA to members, interested parties and surrounding residents.

Owners of a St. Petersburg tavern — The Independent — want to open a restaurant on Florida Avenue where Van Gogh Signs Displays and Graphics has operated since 2006. The restaurant would join a growing list of proposed or under-construction restaurants: Richy’s Themes Sports Lounge and Ella’s on Nebraska Avenue; and Sangria’s Spanish Tapas Bar & Restaurant on Hillsborough Avenue. A sushi lounge and pub could join Sangria’s in a rehabbed auto repair shop. Cappy’s Pizza and Bungalow Bistro opened within the past two years on Florida, near Van Gogh, 5016 N. Florida Ave. The Independent owners Veronica and John Vellines have a contract to buy the 1935 masonry building from Van Gogh owner James Ciaccio, pending Tampa City Council approval of beer and wine sales. A hearing is scheduled Jan. 15. The restaurant would be similar to The Independent but with a light food menu, probably seating about 40 people inside and 18 outside. The St. Petersburg tavern, 29 Third St. N., serves mostly Belgian and German drafts but also imported and microbrews in the bottle. Once the historical building in Seminole Heights is sold, Van Gogh’s chief executive officer, Keith Schaller, plans to move the shop.