FireWater Opens on Central and Stirs Up a Very St. Pete Conversation
For years, Love Food Central was one of those places people kept in their back pocket. If a friend asked where they could eat vegan on Central Avenue without feeling limited, this was usually the answer. That’s why its return under a new name, FireWater Cuisine & Wellness, is already getting people talking.
The restaurant at 2057 Central Avenue has reopened with a broader identity. It’s no longer a strictly vegan kitchen. Instead, FireWater is positioning itself as plant forward, offering vegan and gluten free options alongside vegetarian and pescatarian dishes. For some longtime fans, that shift feels like a loss. For others, it feels like a move that might actually keep the doors open.
From Vegan Staple to Plant Forward Pivot
FireWater quietly rolled out its updated concept in early December, just ahead of a formal announcement. While the name and menu changed, the heart of the place didn’t disappear. Plant based food still anchors the menu, but it’s no longer the only lane.
That change didn’t come out of nowhere. St. Pete has watched a steady wave of vegan focused restaurants close or pivot in recent years, including Golden Dinosaurs, Rawk Star Café, Cider Press Café, Freya’s Diner, Black Radish Grocery, Meze 119, Leafy Greens Café, and The Works by Squeeze Juice Works. The reality is uncomfortable but simple. Only a small slice of the population identifies as fully vegan, and running an exclusively vegan restaurant has become harder as rent, food costs, and labor continue to climb.
FireWater’s rebrand feels less like abandoning an idea and more like adapting it to survive.
What You’ll Actually Find on the Menu
The current menu reflects that middle ground. Several salads remain fully vegan and gluten free, keeping familiar options intact. Sandwiches and wraps now span both cold and hot choices and can be ordered on local sourdough, a kaiser roll, gluten free multigrain bread, or a gluten free wrap. Each comes with sides like potato salad, chipotle chickpeas, or broccoli slaw.
The offerings include vegan friendly staples such as the Antipasto sandwich, Thai Peanut Cucumber Wrap, and Portobello Burger, alongside additions like a Tuna Salad sandwich and Ayla’s Grilled Cheese. It’s designed so a mixed group can sit down and order without the usual menu negotiations.
The Kitchen Behind the Change
The menu is led by chef Sal Corteo, a pescatarian chef with hospitality experience in both New York City and Florida, including time working in Sheraton kitchens. That background shows in the way the menu balances wellness, comfort, and approachability without leaning too hard in any one direction. The wellness influence is still there. It’s just no longer the only headline.
This rebrand lands squarely in St. Pete’s ongoing food conversation. Is FireWater softening what made Love Food Central special, or is it doing what’s necessary to exist on Central Avenue in 2025? There’s no clean answer. What’s clear is that FireWater chose evolution over closure. In a district where turnover is constant, that choice alone is worth paying attention to.
FireWater Cuisine & Wellness now sits among a stretch of Central Avenue defined by reinvention. Whether this plant forward approach becomes a model for other concepts or remains a one off experiment will depend on how the community responds.