Bolay Fresh Bold Kitchen plans to open next month in St. Pete
By Breanne Williams
Tampa Bay Business Journal
Published: Oct 19, 2021

Bolay Fresh Bold Kitchen will open its first restaurant in St. Petersburg in mid-November.

The St. Pete location, at 1330 Fourth St. N, will open Nov. 11 and be the second location for the fast-casual restaurant in Tampa Bay, following the opening of the Brandon location earlier this year.

Created by Chris Gannon, son of Outback Steakhouse Founder Tim Gannon, the restaurant offers food that is “craveable, nutritious, wholesome and nourishing paired with a culture of inspiration for their guests to be the best version of themselves.”

“As an 18-year resident of St. Pete, I feel honored and excited by the opportunity to be the first to bring Bolay to this incredible city that I know and love,” said Sean McGrath, operating partner of the newest Bolay Fresh Bold Kitchen, in a release. “I have spent more than 25 years in the hospitality industry and in that time I have never before felt as passionate about my work as I do now. Bolay curates this amazing experience between the food, atmosphere, guest experience, company culture and overall ethos, ultimately creating a perfect match for the St. Pete lifestyle.”

The restaurant will fill a 2,411-square-foot space that can hold almost 50 guests. There will be options for dine-in, curbside pickup and direct delivery via its website. On Nov. 13 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. the restaurant plans to host “Bolay Fest,” which will act as a celebration featuring local vendors like Posies Flower Truck, The Blend Coffee & Wine and live music.

The St. Pete location will bring 50 new jobs. The restaurant was founded in Wellington in 2016 and the St. Pete addition will be the 20th location in less than six years.

Bolay is known for its build your own “Bol” concept with a menu that has gluten-free, vegan and vegetarian options. Items like lemon chicken, spicy Thai shrimp and Asian sweet potato noodles are featured on the menu.

“St. Petersburg is a vibrant, fun, culture-rich community that we have wanted on our roster for some time,” said Chris Gannon, CEO and Co-founder of Bolay Fresh Bold Kitchen, in the release. “Being our 20th location in just under six years, I can’t help but feel like this is a celebration of sorts ­— and this community is the perfect place for it."