Café Bohemia is for sale on Craigslist. Got $100,000? It’s all yours.
“Coffee Shop for Sale on Central Ave in downtown St Pete. 1,250 sq ft interior and 1,250 sq ft courtyard. Has beer and wine license. Rent $1,800 per mo. Currently doing approx 150k in annual sales. Much growth potential. Perfect for owner operator. If interested, please call 727-479-5977.”
That number at the end of the ad belongs to current owner and operator Lou Albano.
“I’m not aggressively looking, but if the right guy were to come along I’d be open to that,” Albano said Tuesday. “As a business man, everything is always for sale.”
But if no one offers up 100k in the next few weeks, Albano is moving forward with a new name, new concept, and the offer to sell, at least for the listed price, is coming off the table.
“Once we change the name we are going forward with our new concept,” Albano said. The new name?
“Everything Dolce,” Albano said. “We have no desire to sell but if someone were to come forward and say I love Café Bohemia as is, then we’d sell.”
Everything Dolce is focused on decadent pastries, small plates of food, and a music-oriented atmosphere. Albano owns several other buildings nearby, if he were to sell Café Bohemia, he said he’ll take Everything Dolce into one of his other locations.
“Every day that passes we are getting closer to becoming Everything Dolce,” Albano said. He also said a few people have responded to the ad.
“Those that have reached out aren’t interested in Café Bohemia,” Albano said. “They are thinking more of putting their concept in this beautiful little building.”
Keeping Café Bohemia as Café Bohemia was never in the business plan, reiterates Albano. He expects construction to take two to four weeks before reopening under the new name.
“I bought the place to ultimately be Everything Dolce,” Albano. “It was never bought to be Café Bohemia and we are plowing forward with Everything Dolce.”
In other news:
The second location for La Creperia Café opened Wed., Sept. 12, at 2901 Central Ave. in St. Petersburg. The café’s first location in Ybor City has served fluffy patinas of crepes filled with all matter of goodness for the last eight years. Drive by the Central Avenue location and you’ll spot a glistening Airstream bus. That’s the café’s kitchen. There is both indoor and outdoor seating. … The battle of the burg(er) comes to a close on Sept. 15, when winners of the Grand Central District’s burger contest will be revealed. Contestants included both likely and unlikely burger suspects: Craftsman House Gallery and Café, Georgie’s Alibi, Beak’s Old Florida, The Queens Head Eurobar, Mayster’s Café, Cappy’s Pizza, The Burg Bar and Grill, Picnics and more, and Nitally’s Thai-Mex cuisine.
… On Saturday night, Sept. 8, outside of the Sloppy Pelican in St. Pete Beach, girls in tube tops argued on cell phones and people guzzled pitchers of Bud Light. It was the end of an era at the Sloppy Pelican, known for beach fare on a block famous for trapping tourists in the endless party loop of Blind Pass. In its final night, Sloppy Pelican lovers bade farewell, the lobster tank was overwhelmed, and the floor looked as if a sloppy (and wet) pelican had sloshed right across, headed to the bar for last call. Cheers!
This article appears in Sep 13-19, 2012.
