A Mano Italian Ristorante in St. Pete's Edgemoor neighborhood faces eviction lawsuit
By Breanne Williams
Tampa Bay Business Journal
Published: Mar 20, 2024

A Mano Italian Ristorante on Fourth Street in St. Petersburg is facing an eviction lawsuit.

R.E. Martin Enterprises II Inc., which owns the shopping plaza in the Edgemoor neighborhood at 5901 Fourth St. N, filed an eviction lawsuit against Jubes AM 33703 Inc. and Josh Cameron on March 14 in Pinellas County Circuit Court.

Cameron is the owner of Crafty Hospitality, which owns several other properties including the Australian brewpub Where’s Jubes and Crafty Squirrel on Central Avenue. A Mano Italian Ristorante is temporarily closed for renovations, according to its website.

Cameron could not be immediately reached for comment.

The Italian restaurant fills a corner unit at the Northside Center shopping plaza, which is also home to two nail salons, Ember Lights Smoke Shop and Curaleaf Dispensary North St. Petersburg.

R.E. Martin Enterprises said it served Cameron a three-day notice on Feb. 29 to pay rent or vacate the premises and claims the defendant refused to do either. The documents claim Cameron is presently $67,474.69 in debt, not including the security deposit.

The lease agreement states that in the event of a default, R.E. Martin Enterprises can terminate the lease and collect all past due and future rents. The lease agreement began July 29, 2021, according to court documents. R.E. Enterprises is also claiming it has sustained damages as a result of Cameron’s operation of the premises.

The plaza lies directly across the street from LA Fitness and is a mile and a half from Whole Foods Market and 2 miles from Trader Joe’s. It is roughly 4 miles from downtown St. Petersburg and 4 miles from the Gandy Bridge.