St. Petersburg cult favorite Violet Stone is officially crossing the bay. The hit pizzeria and cheesesteak shop is planning a roughly 3,000-square-foot outpost in Tampa, bringing its charred, well-done pies and hefty cheesesteaks to the Kennedy Boulevard corridor later this year.
According to the Tampa Bay Business Journal, the Tampa restaurant will occupy about 3,000 square feet, marking the St. Pete-born brand’s first official jump across the water. The Business Journal ties the move to a spike in demand after the shop gained national attention.
Owner Daniel Fekete grew Violet Stone from a 2022 food truck into a busy MLK storefront, and local coverage has repeatedly pointed to Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy’s One Bite visit as a turning point. FOX 13 Tampa Bay and other outlets have chronicled Fekete’s rapid rise and the long lines that followed the review.
Where It Will Land
Local reporting indicates the new outpost will be on Kennedy Boulevard, a stretch that keeps drawing fresh restaurant attention. That’s So Tampa reports that construction is slated to begin in July, with a target opening by September in time for football season. That coverage notes the timing is meant to capture late-summer and early-fall foot traffic.
Kennedy Boulevard Is Turning Over
Creative Loafing Tampa reports that the Kennedy property currently houses Renzo’s Steakhouse, whose owners are planning a relocation, which would free up the Kennedy lease later this year. Creative Loafing notes that Renzo’s lease runs through Sept. 30, and the restaurant’s own site lists 3644 W Kennedy Blvd as its current address.
What To Expect From Violet Stone Tampa
In St. Pete, Violet Stone has already shown what happens when it gets more room to play. After outgrowing its original takeout setup, the shop expanded into a larger dining room, added ovens and broadened the menu to include pasta and fried mozzarella. “This isn’t going to be a typical St. Pete ‘Instagram’ type of restaurant,” owner Daniel Fekete told St. Pete Rising, which covered the brand’s last move and its plans for a bigger kitchen and more seating…