John and Veronica Vellines, the couple that owns the Independent bar locations in Tampa and St. Petersburg, recently got divorced. Veronica said the decision was an amicable one. As part of the deal, she’s keeping the Tampa location and the brand, while John got the St. Petersburg location (which will soon have a new name).
“There was no battle over this,” Veronica told me on Aug. 28. She also said she’s happy for John and the St. Petersburg location to get a fresh start.
“Veronica is kicking butt over in Seminole Heights,” John said. “She’s Miss Independent and I’m Mister something else now.”
He wouldn’t let on what the new name or concept is exactly.
“I’m not 100 percent sure yet but it’ll definitely be different from the Independent,” he said. “I’m a beer dude, so that will continue, but we’ll also have more approachable beers as well.”
The decision to redo the downtown St. Petersburg bar was already in the works somewhat before the divorce.
“We needed to rebrand downtown into something else,” John said. “It had gotten stale and needed a new start.”
The St. Pete Independent is hosting a thank-you party for the staff, which is being laid off. (John isn’t sure how long construction will take, and will hire new employees once the location is ready to reopen.)
“I love all my people and I know they’ve been thrown into the melee of our divorce,” he said. “We want to say thanks for years of awesomeness.”
John gave special thanks to Daniel Schmidt, Matt Chamness, and Neal Whitney for their years of service. The party is Wed., Sept. 5 and the public is invited to come out and say goodbye.
“There will be serious drink specials,” he said. “It’s going to be a huge party.”
The bar’s final night will be Sat., Sept. 8. Starting Sun., Sept. 9, the bar will be closed until construction is finished.
“I’m redoing the bathrooms and the main space,” he said. “After Sunday, I’ll be working my butt off to get back open as soon as possible.”
Rollin’Oats market and café is expanding its space, doubling the size.
“We are bursting at the seams and the store is getting busier every day,” manager Mike Asher said Tuesday. “The expansion is going to help us buy better to keep prices down.”
The store currently occupies roughly 7, 5000 square feet.
“The new space will be 15,000 square feet with St. Pete Yoga moving into the second story,” Asher said.
The expansion will result in the market building up to two stories and out to the west. The construction will take roughly 10-12 months, starting in October.
“When it’s finished you’ll walk into a grand lobby with a stairwell and elevator,” Asher said. “We are quadrupling the amount of fresh organic produce with the new space.”
All departments are getting a makeover and there is a possibility for a new organic coffee bar.
“We do not plan on closing during the construction process,” Asher said. “The entrances may move as we build but we won’t close.”
This being Rollin’ Oats, eco-friendly materials are being used in the expansion.
“The yoga studio is looking at reclaimed hardwoods,” Asher said. “We are adding solar panels to the building to generate additional electricity for us as well.”
“These are necessary things our customers have asked us for,” Asher said. “It’s going to look great when we’re done.”
QUICK HITS: Preacher’s Barbecue is closing temporarily while they look for a new space. … Thuy Café owner Thuy Lee opened her downtown St. Petersburg restaurant, La V, on Aug. 15. It’s similar to Thuy Café with Vietnamese fusion cuisine like Pho and Banh Mi sandwiches, but caters to sit-down dining with beer and wine and more seating.
This article appears in Aug 30 – Sep 5, 2012.