Advertisement

Wood Fired Pizza in downtown St. Petersburg closes

 
Wood Fired Pizza in downtown St. Petersburg has closed. [CHRIS TISCH]
Wood Fired Pizza in downtown St. Petersburg has closed. [CHRIS TISCH]
Published Oct. 23, 2014

ST. PETERSBURG — As downtown St. Petersburg's dining scene continues to expand, the restaurant row along First Avenue S is about to get a new look and new menu offerings.

Wood Fired Pizza abruptly closed Sunday and the establishments on each side of it — World of Beer and the Avenue hamburger restaurant — are exploring a "lot more collaboration on the block," one of the principals said Thursday.

"Not to say we want to take business away from Central Avenue or anywhere else, but we believe people will go from block to block in St. Pete and there will be much more pedestrian traffic if we all work together to build business," said Philippe Theodore, a part owner of World of Beer. "Synergizing business in the right place can allow the city to grow."

Theodore would not confirm talk that he had bought out Wood Fired Pizza — "in terms of ownership structure that's not being disclosed'' — but said he "couldn't pass up" the space right next to his 600-label beer emporium.

And he indicated something is in the works with the Avenue, a popular eatery that specializes in original hamburger creations.

"We knew there was a better way to utilize the real estate between us," he said. "I'm very friendly with the ownership at the Avenue, I'm a patron, I really enjoy their concept."

Both the Avenue and the now-defunct Wood Fired Pizza have delivered to World of Beer, which does not have its own menu.

It and the Avenue will remain open while a new concept is being developed for the space formerly occupied by the pizza restaurant.

"I'm certainly not going to put another craft beer bar (there), we have a library of craft beer," Theodore said. "What we'll put in this space is something very synergetic with beer and hamburgers and music."

The landlord and owner of the property, Triann Tower LLC of St. Petersburg, "is very open-minded to some of the changes," he said.

The area just south of Central Avenue offers an increasingly broad range of dining options, including Red Mesa Cantina and Gratzzi Italian Grille. A German beer garden and restaurant is going into the historic but long-closed Tramor Cafeteria at 123 Fourth St. S.

Theodore, who also has interests in World of Beer franchises in Houston and Denver, would not say if any of Wood Fired Pizza's staff would be retained.

The closing "came as quite a surprise," said George Domedion, general manager of the restaurant known for its open-oven specialty pizzas. "I got a call on Sunday at 9:30 (a.m.) that said, 'Don't open and meet the new guy at 2:30 with the keys.' "

Susan Taylor Martin can be reached at smartin@tampabay.com or (727)893-8642. Follow @susanskate.