Two new concepts arrive this month on St. Pete’s food scene
By Breanne Williams
Tampa Bay Business Journal
Published: Dec 9, 2022

St. Pete foodies will soon have two new venues to add to their lineup.

A unique donut shop with a mix of traditional and unique flavors is headed to Old Northeast while a vintage cocktail bar and lounge prepares to open in the Grand Central district.

Five-O Donut Co

Five-O Donut Co, a Sarasota-based donut company, has opened its first location in St. Petersburg.

The company opened the doors to its first Pinellas County location at 1003 Fourth St. N in St. Petersburg’s Historic Old Northeast neighborhood on Dec. 6. The donut shop signed a lease at the space that was once home to Uptown Snoballs. Five-O Donut Co. currently also has four Sarasota locations and one in Bradenton.

"This newest location is so exciting to me because I've had a long-term goal to bring Five-O over the bridge, and now it’s finally happening,” chef Christine Nordstrom said in a release. “We have many customers that drive long distances, and I’m so excited to be opening in their backyards. I'm just so thankful for all our amazing staff and loyal fans that love and support us through all our growth."

The beloved donut shop was created by Nordstrom in 2016 and sells between 24 and 36 different kinds of donuts each day. It serves everything from classic donuts to “decked out giant donut cakes,” according to a release.

Gluten-free and vegan options are also available each day, and the shop includes special flavors like Oreo Birthday, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Cookie Monster and Yabba Dabba Do. Five-O Donut offers coffee, cold brews and espresso bar options.

Five-O Donut Co. will also bring a new location to Ellington in the Crossroads Plaza at the entrance to the Prime Outlets Mall; the shop is expected to open summer 2023.

Lost & Found

Hunger Thirst Group, the company behind The Avenue, Dirty Laundry, No Vacancy, Good Fortune and Park & Rec, is opening a vintage cocktail bar and lounge in the Grand Central district of St. Petersburg.

The bar is set to open this month at 2420 Central Ave. and will have a mix of classic beers and unique cocktails. The lounge will have a large bar inside the venue and a smaller bar in the backyard. Cover bands and DJs will be playing ‘70s and ‘80s music in the backyard.

A rotation of food trucks will be on-site, and soon Lost & Found will host a variety of events, including a weekly retro movie night and a monthly thrift shop.

“The idea was instead of building a kitchen and serving food, it would be more fun to have food trucks as a way to work with other local businesses and be able to also give our guests variety,” Hunger Thirst Group founder and CEO Stephen Schrutt said in a release. “It’s a great way to keep guests from being limited to eating the same thing all the time.”