April 10, 2024

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Today’s Forecast

🎀 Open for business

A rendering of the outside of Juno & the Peacock. There are red chairs under red and white umbrellas, with tables set for people to eat. The doors are open on the left to the inside of the restaurant, and there are lights + greenery around to create a calming atmosphere.

Juno & the Peacock sits in a prime location. | Rendering via Juno & the Peacock

With each passing week it feels as if a bunch of new restaurants leap onto the Tampa Bay area’s food scene. Well this week is no exception.

From another spot for a cup of joe to traditional Japanese flavors, we’re about to be even more spoiled for choice.

Juno & the Peacock

This is a big one. Named after the Greek storyteller Aesop’s fable, this new joint is taking over the space formerly occupied by 400 Beach in St. Pete. Located at the corner of 5th Avenue N. and Beach Drive NE, the team behind Allelo is opening Juno & the Peacock.

The coastal American restaurant’s menu features Maryland-style crab cakes, seafood towers, and is holding onto 400 Beach faves like the Grouper Oscar. If that’s not enough, the restaurant will also house Pluma — a cocktail lounge inspired by Latin American flavors, serving up modern takes on timeless drinks.

A summer opening is in the works, with a specific date not yet set. Follow its Instagram page for updates.

Samurai Cat

This Japanese bakery and cafe has soft opened at 407 Central Ave. in Downtown St. Pete.

Diners can choose from boba tea, Japanese coffee, onigiri, avocado toasts, and fruit sandwiches, alongside other delights. Although the full menu has not yet been released, Samurai Cat has been posting hints and hilarious cryptic videos on social media for some time now.

Kahwa Coffee

Another spot to grab a coffee is coming to South Tampa. Kahwa has announced an upcoming drive-thru right by the Gandy Bridge at 4530 W. Gandy Blvd.

The local chain already has 10+ locations in the Tampa Bay area, and is renowned for its matcha lattes and cold brew options, plus its range of delectable bakes.

Another brew-tiful coffee spot

Asked

Which of these four spots are you most excited about?

A. Juno & the Peacock
B. Kahwa Coffee
C. Samurai Cat
D. Pour and Decor

Fill your plate

Events

Wednesday, April 10

Tampa Tarpons vs. Dunedin Blue Jays | Wednesday, April 10 | 6:30 p.m. | George M. Steinbrenner Field, 1 Steinbrenner Dr., Tampa | $8+ | Baseball season is upon us, and that counts for the minor leagues too.
Wine Down Wednesday | Wednesday, April 10 | 7 p.m. | The DIY Room, 7402 N. 56th St. #480, Tampa | $37 | Unleash your creative side by painting a wine glass of your own to bring home.

Thursday, April 11

“Mean Girls: High School Version” | Thursday, April 11-Saturday, April 13 | Times vary | Don Thompson Theater at H.W. Blake High School, 1701 North Blvd., Tampa | $8+ | Make “fetch” a thing at this musical retelling of the iconic 2004 flick — pink attire is optional.
Melissa Etheridge | Thursday, April 11 | 8 p.m. | Hard Rock Event Center, 5223 Orient Rd., Tampa | $97+ | The two-time Grammy winner brings her “I’m Not Broken Tour” to the Big Guava, where decades of hits will light up the stage.
Tampa Bay Blues Fest Kickoff Party | Thursday, April 11 | 8 p.m. | Palladium Theater, 253 5th Ave. N., St. Petersburg | $40 | Get ready to groove to the sounds of blues at the start of the annual musical extravaganza.

Friday, April 12

A Night at the Brewseum | Friday, April 12 | 6-9 p.m. | Great Explorations Children’s Museum, 1925 4th St. N., St. Petersburg | $25+ | It’s the 10-year anniversary of this event which blends beer drinking, museum browsing, and game night.
Ethnic Heritage Party | Friday, April 12 | 6-10 p.m. | J.C. Newman Cigar Company, 2701 N. 16th St., Tampa | $60 | Celebrate the Cigar City’s diverse heritage alongside the Krewe of the Knights of Sant’Yago — this year’s theme is “Los Tampeños.”

Events calendar here

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Wellness

Your new head spa spot

A person lays on a spa table while the owner of Skin Thermea performs a head spa treatment.

Pro tip: Mention TBAYtoday during your visit to snag 10% off your first Hair Spoils treatment. | Photos provided by Skin Thermea

No need to pack your bags, because this European spa experience is right down the road in Lakeland.

Newly opened in Hollingsworth, Skin Thermea is a European-style wellness spa offering luxurious, medical-grade services designed to be as relaxing as they are effective. They’re also the first in Lakeland to offer a head spa experience.

The owner, Meg Tyner, spent most of her teens + adult life overseas and brought a slice of self-care back with her in the form of unique hair and skin treatments.

Skin Thermea’s specialty service is the lymphatic drainage and sculpting facial massage, which naturally lifts and tightens your skin without needles or lasers. They also offer a brand-new “Head spa” treatment, which acts as a facial for your scalp. Think: exfoliating, massaging, and pampering your roots to promote healthy hair growth.

The intimate space also accommodates couples and groups of up to three for facials, and more options and services are being added every month.

Book your spa experience

News Notes

Development

St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport is getting ready for a hefty expansion. Officials say PIE has secured $110 million to expand a terminal for its growing number of passengers. The airport served a record 2.49 million travelers in 2023. (St. Pete Catalyst)

Featured

Ybor City was named one of the best places to live in the country by Money. The financial website’s list of the 50 best places to live in the country describes Ybor as “the cultural epicenter of one of America’s hottest cities,” and also lauds its architecture, food, and art scene.

Number

115. That’s how many affordable housing units could be coming to St. Pete’s long-vacant Tangerine Plaza in the 1700 block of 22nd St. S., which lost its last grocery store back in 2017. The Sugar Hill Group development team is hoping for city approval to build the units. (Bay News 9)

Announced

Fuerza Regida is coming to Tampa. The Mexican-American band is bringing its “Pero No Te Enamores Tour” to Amalie Arena on Saturday, July 27. Tickets go on sale Friday, April 12.

Shop

It’s almost time for Tampa’s last Indie Flea of the season. The monthly market returns to 1920 Ybor this Sunday, April 14 where vintage threads, art, plants, live music, and a range of other goodies will be on sale from 12 to 4 p.m. And yes, you can bring your dog.

Real Estate

There’s a new record for most expensive home ever sold in Safety Harbor. A waterfront property at 910 S. Bayshore Blvd. just sold for $7.2 million, boasting 7,100+ sqft of living space, six bedrooms, and seven bathrooms on 1.3 acres. (Tampa Bay Business Journal)

Gallery

As the Pier 60 Sugar Sand Festival continues, Clearwater Beach is turning into quite the canvas. Check out some of the handmade sand-made masterpieces on show. The event runs through Sunday, April 14.

Sports

What do the Bucs need in the upcoming NFL Draft? Get game coverage, analysis, insights, interviews and more from local experts of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with Locked On’s daily podcasts.

Edu

Get in on the jobs that make our techy-filled lives possible — see SEU’s new Tech programs, combining concentration-focused certificates with the university’s Bachelor of Business Administration degree. See details + start your high-demand career.*

Finance

Cue drum roll. 2024 is here, and the personal finance experts at The Ascent have sorted through hundreds of credit cards to do the work for you. Presenting: These four credit cards, among the best bonus cards the experts have ever seen.*

Sports

🤘 Horns up

A rendering of the USF football stadium. There are floodlights on and the image is staged at nighttime, with fans in the green stands, and Bulls logos sound the stadium. Campus is visible in the background as the shot is taken from high up.

The stadium is set to open in 2027. | Rendering via USF

The University of South Florida Bulls’ 2023 football season was a memorable one, culminating in the first bowl game victory for the program since 2017. Excitement around the team’s season also landed USF the No. 2 spot for average attendance growth nationally.

Now, there’s even more reason to celebrate. The school’s plans to build its new stadium are advancing.

After a bidding process, Manhattan Construction Company, H.J. Russell & Company and DuCon, LLC, have been chosen as the construction managers. It’s the same team behind current renovations to Florida State’s football stadium, as well as previous projects for Texas Tech, Texas A&M, and the Dallas Cowboys.

They will work with design firm Populous and construction company Barton Malow as the school builds toward a 2027 opening for the project worth an estimated $340 million.

In the meantime, fans can start getting excited for the 2024 season with this weekend’s Spring Game at Corbett Stadium.

The Buy

This under-cabinet pots and pans organizer. We love how it actually utilizes the vertical space in kitchen cupboards and (bonus) can be turned on its side to use as a lid organizer.

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The Wrap

Today’s edition by:
Patrick

From the editor

Scientists have recently discovered a way for humans to turn into manatees. We covered the groundbreaking research on our Instagram.

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