Forbici Modern Italian looks to downtown St. Petersburg for next location
By Ashley Gurbal Kritzer
Tampa Bay Business Journal
Published: Jan 25, 2023

Forbici Modern Italian, an anchor of Hyde Park Village in South Tampa, could soon open a location across the bay.

Restaurateur Jeff Gigante, who owns Forbici with his partners at Next Level Brands, told the Tampa Bay Business Journal that he’s looking at real estate in downtown St. Petersburg for Forbici’s second location.

Next Level Brands this week opened Boulon Brasserie, a French restaurant in Water Street Tampa. Boulon and Union New American, a forthcoming restaurant in Westshore, have been financed under a $10 million funding round. That same round, Gigante said, will fund two additional concepts — one of which will be a second Forbici in St. Petersburg. The other will be a boat-up concept.

Gigante said he’s looking for spaces ranging from 4,000 to 7,000 square feet. That range includes a patio, which he says is critical to the concept.

Next Level partner Andrew Wright, who founded Tampa real estate firm Franklin Street, is also a partner in the ownership of Sundial. That property and surrounding corridor are under consideration, Gigante said, as well as most of downtown St. Pete.

“I think St. Pete is ready for Forbici — live music seven nights a week, casual Italian and a big, fun convivial neighborhood restaurant,” he said.

Paradise Ventures, based in Safety Harbor, bought the Sundial in a joint venture with Wright in 2022.

“I think Jeff is an amazing restaurateur, and I would love to do business with him,” Paradise CEO Mike Conner told the Business Journal, “and I’ll leave it at that.”

For Gigante, the Sunshine City has personal significance: He was born in New Jersey but raised in St. Pete after moving there as a toddler.

“That’s my homecoming,” he said.