Just talked to Wilko (Andrew Wilkins, owner of St. Pete Brasserie) and he had some exciting news that's a tad different than the news he called me about a couple months back. Then, Wilko was on the verge of closing St. Pete Brasserie, or selling it off to some investors who wanted to transform it into a chain concept. Thansk to the power of social (and traditional) media, his devoted customers streamed in and showed their support. Now, things are going much better.
"I got a couple of investors involved in the restaurant," says Wilko. "We found this Superhero place in Clearwater, ridiculous price, couldn't turn it down." The new spot will be called La Petite Brasserie (near the intersection of Belcher and Nursery) and will serve a menu almost identical to the St. Pete location, along with beer and wine. It's small — just 70 seats — and Wilko sees it more as a neighborhood spot than a destination like the downtown mothership.
Things are changing at the original Brasserie as well.