Savannah food truck to open brick-and-mortar restaurant in St. Pete
By Breanne Williams
Tampa Bay Business Journal
Published: Feb 2, 2024

Def Burger, a food truck that grew a loyal following in Savannah, Georgia, has signed a lease for a corner unit in St. Petersburg’s Hillside Center, the recently renovated shopping plaza near Northeast High School.

St. Pete developer and former city councilmember Robert Blackmon has spent the last few years heavily renovating the plaza. Def Burger is filling the final unit, a 2,250-square-foot space on the corner of the building. While head chef Anna Cerney and her father, Brian Cerney, build out the space, the Def Burger food truck will operate out of the plaza parking lot.

Anna Cerney is deaf and has worked for years in restaurants nationwide. She told the Tampa Bay Business Journal her dream was to own a restaurant, and she’s excited to provide a unique experience for residents in St. Pete.

“I want to see people come in, to chat with them and watch them eat, and I want them to see me signing,” Anna Cerney said. “I want to establish that communication.”

Def Burger specializes in slaw-topped hamburgers. The slaw is made fresh for each order and comes in various flavors. The menu also features hot dogs, sandwiches and specialty items and sides. The ingredients, Anna Cerney said, are simple and fresh and prepared in a way that will make the experience a memorable one.

When they build out the corner unit, the plan is to have an open kitchen so the public can communicate via signing and watch orders be prepared. It will be reminiscent of the personal experience Anna Cerney offers whenever someone walks up to the food truck.

“One of the big goals wherever we are is to help people understand how to communicate with deaf people,” she said. “We have a paper-based menu with all the items, ingredients and descriptions written down. And I’m there taking your order. You can sign, circle or write down what you want. There are hearing and deaf people in every community, so it was important to us to be visual and normalize signing, which is just another form of communication.”

Brian Cerney said they looked all over the state of Florida to decide where they would open their first brick-and-mortar location. They struggled to find a venue that matched their vision, but then they found Blackmon’s listing.

The neighborhood lacked restaurant and retail options, and Anna Cerney said they loved watching people walk their dogs and ride bikes as they headed to the retail tenants in the plaza or the neighboring Circle K.

She had spent time at Treasure Island, so she was familiar with the area, and after speaking with Blackmon, she decided to make St. Pete home.