Geoffrey Zakarian Targets St. Pete’s Edge District with a High-Profile Restaurant
The Edge District has long been a magnet for creativity in St. Petersburg — a stretch of Central Avenue where dive bars, indie galleries, and experimental restaurants thrive side by side. Now, that landscape is bracing for a new arrival that could reshape its future: Food Network celebrity chef Geoffrey Zakarian has confirmed plans to open a restaurant at 1301 Central Avenue as part of the upcoming development known as The Central.
The Central: A New Anchor in Edge
Zakarian’s project isn’t just another dining room. It will serve as the signature restaurant inside The Central, a luxury mixed-use hotel development that is joining Marriott’s Autograph Collection. Construction is expected to begin in 2026, with a projected opening in 2027, making this one of the most ambitious hospitality projects in downtown St. Pete to date.
This will also mark Zakarian’s first new restaurant in nearly ten years, an announcement that instantly put the Edge District on the national culinary map. His reputation for modern American cuisine with European influences has earned him acclaim across the country, but in St. Pete, the expectation is that he will tie his menu to the local story and ingredients that define the region.
A Clash of Cultures in the Edge
The Edge District’s reputation has always been built on grit, art, and originality. Locals cherish its authenticity — the dive bars with character, the walls covered in murals, the boutiques that double as creative studios. Bringing in a Food Network star to helm a polished, upscale venue raises an inevitable question: is this an exciting validation of St. Pete’s rise, or does it risk sanding down the very edge that makes the neighborhood what it is?
City leaders, including Mayor Ken Welch, have praised the project as evidence of St. Pete’s growing reputation as a culinary destination. But some residents and business owners point to recent losses like the closure of Wayward Goose — a bar and creative hub that shuttered earlier this year — as a warning sign that national names and luxury concepts may be squeezing out the independent spirit that first gave the Edge District its identity.
What This Means for St. Pete
Zakarian’s arrival reflects a larger tension in the city: the push-and-pull between locally rooted businesses and the wave of high-profile developments transforming the downtown core. On one hand, his restaurant could draw international attention and raise the bar for St. Pete’s food scene. On the other, it risks overshadowing the small, risk-taking kitchens and bars that built the Edge into the cultural hotbed it is today.
The question isn’t whether Zakarian will deliver a polished dining experience — his record speaks for itself. The real question is whether his restaurant will connect with the St. Pete community or become another glossy import designed more for tourists than locals.
Edge at a Crossroads
With The Central set to break ground next year, the Edge District stands at a turning point. Zakarian’s project is bound to bring hype, visitors, and a wave of new energy. But as the city debates what kind of future it wants, the Edge remains the stage where those competing visions will collide.
One thing is clear: this isn’t just about a new restaurant. It’s about identity, ownership, and whether St. Pete can embrace celebrity attention without losing the authenticity that made it thrive in the first place.