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St. Petersburg officially got into the St. Patrick’s Day business in 2023; the inaugural Paddy Fest, co-sponsored by the City, drew nearly 9,000 to Williams Park on a single day.

Round Two happens this weekend, Saturday and Sunday (the latter being the actual St. Patrick’s Day) from noon until 9 p.m., and organizers says they’re expecting perhaps 20,000 visitors in total to the now-expanded event. Admission is free.

Paddy Fest was dreamed up and produced by Pete Boland, owner of The Galley and Mary Margaret’s Mary Margaret’s Olde Irish Tavern, both of which have large St. Patrick’s Day schedules (he’s also a candidate for St. Petersburg City Council).

He was inspired, he explains, by the long-ago St. Patrick’s Day block parties on Beach Drive, kicked off by the gone-but-not-forgotten Courigan’s Irish Pub, and the Irish parties at Jannus Live.

“But it was always very adult-focused, Boland says. “Stereotypical kind of drunken Irish revelry, which is great fun … it’s fun during the daytime but it always gets more adult as the night goes on.”

And so the idea for a family-friendly festival was hatched. “It’s such a wonderful time in St. Pete, the weather’s amazing, it’s Spring Break. I look at St. Patrick’s day like Thanksgiving. It’s really about family, food, friends and fun.

“And with St. Patrick’s Day, it’s about a little whiskey, too.”

Each day’s stage entertainment will include the Dunedin Pipe Band, The Gilleoghan Irish Dancers, Drunken Shrubbery, Chad McDonald and Sean Patrick Walsh. Other events: A Celtic Games exhibition, on Williams Park’s extensive lawn, from the Foundation of Scottish Athletes; an extensive “Kid Zone” with bounce houses, lawn games, face painting and more; a presence from the co-sponsoring Tampa Bay Rowdies; food and beverage trucks (including alcohol for those with proper I.D.).

As with the 2023 inaugural event, the designated charity partner is waterway habit restoration charity Ocean Aid 360.

Last time, Boland says, “I feel like we knocked it out of the park. It was a steep learning curve. We learned a lot. It’s not easy – I think all of us, the owners and organizers, we agree that this might be the hardest thing we ever do, two days, 18 hours.

“We need 300-plus volunteers, we’ve got another 75 on staff, 50 vendors, live music all day, tons of food … we’re really excited about it, and we’re feeling pretty good going into this week.”

As with similar events like Localtopia and First Night, organizers pay the City’s Parks Department for its services, including venue rental, barricades, security, sanitation and other necessities. This automatically makes the City of St. Petersburg a co-sponsor. Boland and partners are paying the City $25,000.

“We want to take this thing very seriously, and pass it off to some other group 20, 25 years from now,” Boland muses. “I feel like it’s a responsibility not just to our business, and our reputation, but also to make it a family tradition. We really think that’s a big part of it.

“We want our kids here at home to always have a special place in their minds and hearts for St. Patrick’s Day.”

Williams Park is at Fourth Street and First Avenue North, St. Petersburg.

They’ll be dying the Hillsborough River a becoming shade of green Saturday, as they do every year over St. Patrick’s Day weekend. The occasion is Tampa’s River O’Green Fest, a family-friendly event with food, beverage, two stages of live entertainment, Irish sport games demonstrations and more. It’s free (11 a.m.-6 p.m.) at Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park, 600 N. Ashley Drive.

ST. PETERSBURG — The former location of Munch’s, the iconic St. Petersburg restaurant once featured on Guy Fieri’s “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives,” appears to be poised to open a new chapter as Tchotchke, an eatery serving breakfast and lunch.

The restaurant at 3920 Sixth St. S has been a staple in St. Petersburg for 70 years. Owner Larry Munch put the place up for sale in 2022, saying he was ready to retire but hoped the new buyer would keep the popular restaurant alive. In a phone interview Monday, Munch said he had high hopes for the new iteration, though he will keep his distance for now.

“I don’t want to run into people there and have them say something negative like ‘This isn’t Munch’s,’ " he said. “I just want to give them positive vibes.”

On social media, such as the Old Southeast neighborhood group on Facebook, pictures of the menu from soft openings have been posted. A peek inside on Monday showed the restaurant and counter appear ready for an opening with silverware set on cloth napkins and white ceramic coffee cups placed upside down at each spot.

But there was no sign on the marquee of the restaurant’s name on Monday or in the windows. Records from Pinellas County restaurant inspections show that it will be called Tchotchke and is poised to open soon.

Munch’s was best known for breakfast and lunch “like mama used to make” and its Munchburger, fried chicken, fried green tomatoes and its own brand of sausages from scratch.

The new owners, who have kept a low profile on social media, have a menu that is similar but also includes Southwestern influences in its breakfast burrito, vegetarian options and Flamingo Potatoes of fried potatoes with roasted cauliflower tossed in Spanish roasted pepper sauce.

“They had told me they didn’t want to compete with what was there before,” Munch said, though he said they did find there are residual effects from the location.

“They didn’t advertise the soft opening last week and he said he was amazed all he did was unlock the door and the counterside was filled,” Munch said. “That’s what I warned them. We’ve been here 70 years so you will have a good following, but that can be good and bad.”

St. Petersburg, Fla. (Feb. 28, 2024) – Whole Foods Market opened its new 40,100-square-foot store, located at 201 38th Ave North, St. Petersburg, Florida, on Feb. 28 at 9 a.m. EST.

The store’s aesthetic is inspired by the vibrant spirit of St. Petersburg, known as the ‘Sunshine City’ for its close ties to sundials. Customers are welcomed by a radiant sun motif, and the entire store is adorned with elements reminiscent of sunbeams and a warm, inviting color scheme. Embracing Whole Foods Market’s commitment to supporting local communities, the new store proudly offers more than 800 products from Florida, thoughtfully curated by Dustin Kennedy, Forager for Local and Emerging Brands.

“As a Tampa-area native, opening a Whole Foods Market store in St. Petersburg feels like a personal milestone. This moment has been eagerly awaited, and I’m honored to be part of the team bringing our store to such a vibrant community,” says Mario Torres, Store Team Leader for Whole Foods Market. “This store has so much to offer, including knowledgeable team members in every department who are passionate about good food and ready to meet our new customers!”

Features of the new St. Petersburg store include:

As part of its ongoing commitment to supporting local communities, Whole Foods Market is contributing a refrigerated van to Good Neighbors through its Nourishing Our Neighborhoods initiative. Introduced by the retailer in 2020, this program is dedicated to strengthening the operational capacities of local food rescue organizations, empowering them to effectively distribute surplus food to areas where it’s needed the most. Additionally, Whole Foods Market will extend its support to the St. Pete Free Clinic by making a charitable contribution to aid the nonprofit’s initiatives aimed at improving food accessibility throughout Pinellas County.

All food at Whole Foods Market must meet the company’s rigorous Quality Standards, which prohibit hydrogenated fats, high-fructose corn syrup and more than 300 flavors, colors, sweeteners and other ingredients commonly found in food. In addition, all beauty and body care products must meet the company’s body care standards, which ban more than 240 commonly used ingredients, including phthalates, parabens and microbeads.

Prime members who shop at Whole Foods Market have access to a number of benefits year-round, including deep discounts on select popular products each week and an additional 10% off hundreds of in-store sale items. Additionally, customers can pay in-store with their palm using Amazon One or with the Whole Foods Market or Amazon app. For more information on in-store benefits for Prime members and payment options, please visit https://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/amazon.

Whole Foods Market St. Petersburg will be open from 9 a.m. – 10 p.m. EST opening day. Regular store hours will be 8 a.m. – 10 p.m. EST daily. For more information and hours of operation, please visit: https://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/stores/stpetersburg.

About Whole Foods Market

Founded in 1980, Austin-based Whole Foods Market is the world’s leading natural and organic foods retailer and the first certified organic national grocer in the United States. Part of Amazon’s Worldwide Grocery Stores, Whole Foods Market serves customers in more than 530 stores across the U.S., Canada, and the U.K. To learn more about Whole Foods Market, please visit https://media.wholefoodsmarket.com/.

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When restaurateur Matthew Firosz signed the lease for the old Munch's Restaurant and Sundries, Firosz knew he wanted to honor the nostalgic history tied to the space now reopening under a different name.

Longtime owner Larry Munch and his family served breakfast for 70 years at 3920 6th Street South in southeast St. Pete before Munch announced his retirement and closed the restaurant in late 2022.

"We need to embrace what was here. The Munch family has owned this place since 1952 - that's a real testament to this industry," Firosz said in a conversation with St. Pete Rising. "We can make new memories in this space while paying tribute to what came before us."

The family business was listed on the market for $2.7 million in 2022. In February 2023, the five-parcel property sold for $1.6 million to Cato Holdings.

Although the new eatery, named Tchotcke, has held a few private events, Firosz stressed that the restaurant is not open to the public yet and will debut as soon as they’ve hired enough staff and worked out the kinks, likely in a few weeks.

"We will be serving ‘old Florida’ dishes with an international twist, but will still carry ideas and items from Munch's," Firosz said.

"People think of old Florida as the 1950s, but I'd like to take it further back with dishes inspired by New Orleans, Jamaica, Cuba, Africa, the Bahamas, and Spain," Firosz said.

Tchotchke will serve breakfast, lunch, and brunch. It may eventually have an intimate family-style dinner service as well.

Tchotchke will offer Munch's favorites like eggs benedict with fried green tomatoes topped with pimento cheese, ham, and hollandaise, and unique benedicts made with Maryland-style crab cake and Cuban mojo pork.

Other breakfast dishes include shrimp and grits, country fried steak, and chicken and waffles while the lunch spread ranges from beer-battered grouper, Reuben sandwiches, and smash burgers to vegetarian options.

Firosz has years of experience in the restaurant industry and was previously the owner and chef at the NEPO 42 pub in Portland, Oregon.

Several years ago, he and his wife traded the mountains for the sunshine with plans of running a fishing charter business, but decided not to pursue it.

"Somebody told me that the former Munch’s spot was available, and it was too good to pass up," Firosz said about returning to his restaurant roots.

Tchotchke is set to open in a few weeks at 3920 6th Street South in southeast St. Pete.

St. Petersburg, Fla. (Jan. 31, 2024) – Whole Foods Market will open a new 40,100 square-foot store, located at 201 38th Ave North, St. Petersburg, Florida, on Feb. 28 at 9.a.m. EST.

The store’s design draws inspiration from St. Petersburg, nicknamed the ‘Sunshine City’ for its association with sundials. A prominent glowing sun greets customers while decor elements throughout the store incorporate sun rays and a palette of warm colors. The new store’s product assortment features more than 800 locally sourced products from the Southeast, curated with the help of Dustin Kennedy, Local Forager for Whole Foods Market.

Features of the new St. Petersburg store include:

Whole Foods Market St. Petersburg will be open from 9 a.m. – 10 p.m. opening day. Regular store hours will be 8 a.m. – 10 p.m. EST daily. Opening morning, customers will enjoy complimentary coffee and breakfast bites. The first 300 customers in line will receive a limited-edition tote bag and a Secret Saver coupon featuring offers up to $100 off.

To give back to the community, Whole Foods Market is donating a refrigerated van to Good Neighbors through its Nourishing Our Neighborhoods program. Launched by the grocer in 2020, the Nourishing Our Neighborhoods program aims to enhance the operational capabilities of local food rescue organizations, enabling them to efficiently transport food from surplus locations to areas with the greatest need. Whole Foods Market will also make a donation to St. Pete Free Clinic to support the nonprofit’s programs that increase food access in Pinellas County.

All food at Whole Foods Market must meet the company’s rigorous Quality Standards, which prohibit hydrogenated fats, high-fructose corn syrup and more than 300 flavors, colors, sweeteners and other ingredients commonly found in food. In addition, all beauty and body care products must meet the company’s body care standards, which ban more than 240 commonly used ingredients, including phthalates, parabens and microbeads.

Amazon Prime members who shop at Whole Foods Market have access to a number of benefits year-round, including deep discounts on select popular products each week and an additional 10% off hundreds of in-store sale items. For more information and hours of operation, please visit: https://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/stores/stpetersburg

About Whole Foods Market

For more than 40 years, Whole Foods Market has been the world’s leading natural and organic foods retailer. As the first certified organic national grocer, Whole Foods Market has more than 500 stores in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. To learn more about Whole Foods Market, please visit https://media.wholefoodsmarket.com/.

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