Zoie’s, Top Golf, Il Ritorno, Crisp Waffle Company: Restaurant News

ST. PETERSBURG, FL — Here's the latest restaurant and bar news in St. Petersburg area:

Zoie’s Abruptly Closes

Zoie’s, a Grand Central District restaurant that opened last fall, closed its doors abruptly over the weekend because of the owner’s cancer diagnosis, according to a Facebook post.

“Over the last month, my life took a turn when I was diagnosed with cancer,” the post read. “This unexpected turn of events has led me to reassess what’s most important in life and prompted me to make the difficult decision to close our beloved Zoie’s for the sake of my health and my family’s well-being. Facing a challenging road to recovery, I’ve realized the importance of focusing fully on my health and my grandmother’s. The pressures of running Zoie’s have begun to take a toll on me physically and emotionally.”

Plant Love Ice Cream Opens Second Location

A St. Petersburg vegan ice cream shop, Plant Love Ice Cream, has opened the doors of its new second location in Gulfport at 2901 Beach Blvd.

The shop’s original location, which opened in 2019, is in the Edge District.
Plant Love offers more than 50 homemade, rotating flavors of vegan ice cream.

Topgolf Opening Friday

Topgolf will open its new St. Petersburg location at 220 Carillon Parkway N. on Friday, according to a news release from the company.

The venue has 102 outdoor climate-controlled hitting baysacross three levels and is equipped with Topgolf’s Toptracer technology, which traces each golf ball’s flight path, distance, and other metrics. Players can also take lessons through Topgolf’s Coach program, led by the venue’s director of instruction.

It also offers a sports bar and restaurant, more than 200 HDTVs throughout and a rooftop terrace with fire pits.

Crisp Waffle Company Coming to Grand Central District

The Sarasota-based Crisp Waffle Company is opening a St. Petersburg location in the Grand Central District this September, according to St. Pete Rising.

The eatery will move into the space at 2414 Central Ave., taking over the former home of UBHaven: Dog Training, which will no longer have a storefront.

Crisp Waffle Company serves authentic Liege waffles using ingredients imported from Belgium.

Il Ritorno Hosts Wagyu Dinner

Downtown St. Petersburg’s Il Ritorno is hosting an indulgent Wagyu dinner Wednesday at 6:30 p.m.

“From American Wagyu out of Ohio to Australian and Japanese A5 Wagyu, there is a little bit of it all,” according to a Facebook post by the restaurant.

The dessert course even features chocolate and beef tallow.

The cost of the six-course meal is $195 per person and includes a welcome glass of champagne.

Gourmet Popcorn Shop Opening

A gourmet, small-batch popcorn shop, Sunshine City Popcorn, is opening in the Grand Central District this summer.

Sunshine City Popcorn will open its doors at 2533 Central Ave. in mid-August, according to the Tampa Bay Times.

The shop will offer more than 50 flavors of popcorn, both savory and sweet.