St. Pete’s first Zaxby’s celebrates its grand opening next week. Credit: c/o Zaxby's

Openings

Zaxby’s The tendy competition in St. Pete is heating up. On Monday, June 12 at 10 a.m., St. Pete’s very first Zaxby’s will open its doors at 3700 34th St. S, to the delight of Zax sauce-lovers across The ‘Burg. Giveaways or grand opening festivities aren’t planned for next week’s debut yet, although more event details could be released on Zaxby’s Facebook page. In addition to its beloved trifecta of chicken tenders, Zax sauce and a fat slice of toast, Zaxby’s also dishes out loaded fries, fried white cheddar bites, chicken wings, salads, fried pickles and a variety of chicken sandwiches. St. Pete’s Zaxby’s is heading to its Skyway Marina District, a booming part of town where national chains like Wawa and Starbucks have recently opened outposts. There are over 600 locations of the Georgia-based chain across the country, with over a hundred Zaxby’s locations in Florida alone. 3700 34th St. St. Petersburg. zaxbys.com

Coming soon

Fo’Cheezy’s new stadium outposts This week, St. Pete-based grilled cheese concept Fo’Cheezy Twisted Meltz announced an exciting new collaboration with two of Tampa Bay’s professional sports teams. “As of today, Fo’Cheezy Twisted Meltz is in partnership with the Tampa Bay Rays and the Tampa Bay Rowdies as the official grilled cheese for both of these teams! We will have four new exciting locations within these stadiums,” Fo’Cheezy owner Robert Hesse wrote on social media this week. “Stay tuned to the build out and future collaboration content with the Tampa Bay Rays and Rowdies.” Folks will soon be able to find Fo’Cheezy’s prized melts and sandwiches at Tropicana Field’s Budweiser Beer Porch, first base food hall and third base food hall, in addition to The Rowdies’ Field Level food court at Al Lang Stadium. These four new stadium concepts join Fo’Cheezy’s two brick and mortars in downtown St. Pete and St. Pete Beach, as well as its food trucks that serve events and festivals throughout Tampa Bay and beyond. Popular Fo’Cheezy melts include the “Mac n’ Rib” loaded with sharp cheddar, mac and cheese, BBQ pulled pork, bacon and crispy onions and its “Hot Mess” stacked with poutine gravy, beef short rib, crispy tots and three types of cheese—which might have a home on its new stadium menus. focheezy.com

Closings

The Pub Pour out a pint of Boddingtons, International Plaza and Bay Street is officially down another hospitality concept. English bar and restaurant The Pub took to Facebook to announce its immediate closure this week. “We are sad to announce that after 12 years in our Bay Street location, The Pub Tampa is now permanently closed at International Plaza due to our lease ending,” the English restaurant posted on Facebook earlier this week. “We are looking for the perfect location to raise a pint with you in the Tampa Bay Area soon. Until then, we want to extend our heartfelt gratitude to our patrons and dedicated staff.” Besides citing the end of its lease, the folks behind The Pub didn’t provide any additional details about its somewhat-surprising closure. The English pub was known for its wide variety of spirits and hearty British eats like bangers and mash and Shepherd’s pie, in addition to its sports-watching parties, trivia and other events. But its “pour your own beer wall” was certainly the center of attention. 2223 N Westshore Blvd., Tampa. @thepubtampa on Facebook

Events

Urban Brew & BBQ’s 10th anniversary Anyone who misses those pre-inflation food prices will certainly appreciate Urban Brew & BBQ’s exclusive buffet this weekend. On Saturday, June 10 from 11 a.m.-11 p.m., Grand Central District’s Urban Brew & BBQ—located at 2601 Central Ave.—celebrates its 10th anniversary with a $10 all-you-can-eat buffet loaded with favorites like mac and cheese, brisket, pulled pork and barbecued chicken. In addition to its BBQ buffet (which will be offered until supplies last), the St. Pete restaurant will also offer other food and drink specials and giveaways. Urban Brew & BBQ made its debut in downtown St. Pete in the summer of 2013 to rave reviews of its housemade BBQ and casual environment. When its initial lease on Central Avenue ended in 2018, it moved down the street to 2601 Central Ave. and merged with its sibling concept Urban Comfort. Although its anniversary party is slated to happen until 11 p.m. this Saturday, the restaurant says it’ll close whenever it runs out of food, so make sure to get there early if you want a cheap plate. 2601 Central Ave., St. Petersburg. urbanbrewandbbq.com Ooza Palooza With some Lactaid and Pepto-Bismol in hand, head to St. Pete’s massive, free-to-attend foodie festival next weekend. Ooza Palooza—a grilled cheese and tater tot-themed festival—takes over Albert Whitted Park in downtown St. Petersburg from 5 p.m.-10 p.m. on Saturday, June 17. Like many of the other foodie events the Gulf to Bay Food Truck Association hosts throughout the year, next weekend’s foodie festival will feature dozens of Tampa Bay’s best food trucks, all slinging their best cheesy and greasy dishes. In addition to a wide spread of eats, beer, wine and sangria will also be available for purchase. A few vendors and food trucks that will be posted up at next weekend’s massive festival include Fo’Cheezy Twisted Melts, Jersey kebabs of Tampa Bay, Engine 53 Pizza, Casablanca fusion, Honeyhole Eats, Funnel Vision and Sweet Island Snow, alongside many more. Other non food or drink-related activities include live entertainment, fun games, local vendors and artists, activities, and a kid’s corner (complete with face paining and a balloon artist) for all the grilled cheese-loving kiddos out there. Although admission to Ooza Palooza is free, RSVPing on Eventbrite.com is encouraged. 480 Bayshore Dr. SE, St. Petersburg. eventbrite.com

ICYMI

Gabby Bakes, Tampa’s beloved vegan pop-up, launches fundraiser for Seminole Heights storefront Earlier this year, when Creative Loafing Tampa Bay asked Gabby Duncan if she ever wanted to open a Gabby Bakes storefront, she responded: “it would be a dream, but I’m also being mindful to scale up comfortably and smartly.”Just a few months later, Duncan’s dream has come true—but she needs a little community help to make it happen. With a strong belief system and a “joyful indulgence and a commitment to ethical food practices,” Tampa-based pop-up Gabby Bakes just launched a $20,000 fundraiser to help garner the dough for its debut brick and mortar. Donations will help Duncan cover the massive costs of equipment, necessary building renovations, retail licensing, hiring and training. According to her GoFundMe page, the Seminole Heights building will initially serve as space for larger-scale commercial production instead of the typical bakery that’s open for service every day. After getting it up and running, Duncan says she’ll open for “weekly or bi-weekly popup-type events,” giving loyal customers a regular taste of her highly-acclaimed small-batch bakes. gabbybakes.com

Largo’s Vicki Gibson found safety in gay bars—now she runs one of her own When Vicki Gibson opened the Lady’s Room lesbian bar in Largo last April, it was the fulfillment of a lifelong dream. Gibson was born and raised not far from her bar on Ulmerton Road. Growing up, her mom kicked her out after finding out she was gay. Her dream was to open a lesbian bar, the kind of place that made her feel safe when she had nowhere else to go. She moved back to the area in 2015 with that dream in mind. In 2022, she opened Lady’s Room and in doing so created arguably the only dedicated lesbian bar open in Florida. Located in a strip mall alongside Atomic Tattoos, and TJ’s Soul Food, sits the Lady’s Room. Although the Lady’s Room opened just last year, the bar has struggled between COVID-19, last fall’s hurricanes, and the anti-LGBTQ legislated climate created under Gov. Ron Desantis. “Employees are afraid of somebody coming into the bar and shooting up the place,” Gibson said. “Today was the third day in a row I had ‘Jesus Saves’ cards taped all over the windows and doors.” A GoFundMe has raised over $40k since April. That’s helped Gibson pay off some of the debt, but she needs a steadier clientele if she’s going to stay open. 9057 Ulmerton Rd., Largo. @theladysroomlargo on Facebook —Arielle Stevenson

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