The Gabber Newspaper

01/16/2026

Cheeky’s, a seafood restaurant and raw bar in St. Pete’s Grand Central District, is now open for lunch Wednesday through Sunday. 🥗

The lunch menu features seafood favorites and seasonal salads made with organic greens from local producer Brick Street Farms. 🐟

Read more business news at thegabber.com/st-pete-seafood-restaurant-cheekys-launches-lunch-menu/

(Photo courtesy of Cheeky's)

01/16/2026

A smoke shop in St. Petersburg’s Grand Central District has reopened under new ownership and a new name.

The business at 2428 Central Ave. now operates as Hits & Munchies, previously known as Tubular Tokes. Sisters Sheetal Shahabuddin and Shilpa Mawani own the shop and also operate smoke shops in Tampa.

Read more business news at thegabber.com/smoke-shop-reopens-as-hits-munchies-in-st-petersburg/

(Photo by Ester Venouziou)

01/15/2026

From a young age, bowling was right up Carmen Aguilar’s alley. 🎳

Born in Puerto Rico, Aguilar moved with her parents to Venezuela. Aguilar was about 9 or 10 when she first started bowling. From there, she played internationally on multiple teams throughout the years.

Now, Carmen Aguilar now shares her expertise with young people at the Liberty Lanes Bowling Academy in Largo.

Read more about her program and her bowling history at thegabber.com/carmen-aguilar-coaches-bowling-for-youths-futures/

(Photos by Carmen Aguilar)

01/15/2026

Acknowledgement, Bowling, & Meet the Candidates — What's in The Gabber Newspaper: Gulfport split on sundown town reputation, Liberty Lanes Bowling Academy, & Gulfport Ward I & Ward III candidates. https://mailchi.mp/thegabber/aknowledgement-bowling-meet-the-candidates (Photo by Cameron Healy)

01/14/2026

Gulfport has launched a new resident-led initiative focused on restoring and protecting the city’s natural environment. 🌎

The Gulfport Environmental Team, known as GET, announced its launch along with its first public event, a volunteer tree inventory, set for Saturday, Jan. 17. 🌳

The tree inventory begins at 9 a.m. at the Gulfport Neighborhood Center, located at 1617 49th St. S. Volunteers will gather data to assess the city’s urban forest.

Read more about the Gulfport Environmental Team at thegabber.com/gulfport-celebrates-launch-of-gulfport-environmental-team/

(Graphic courtesy of the City of Gulfport)

01/14/2026

Where is the best cinnamon roll in South Pinellas?

Our food reporter said it's worth noting that there are many local eateries that specialize in homemade cinnamon rolls (and while desperately miss A Friend Who Bakes in Gulfport), these are our top faves: Heavenly Donuts Sweets & Eats, Tasty Treats Café, and Tiki Bagel.

Read more about Top Tastes at thegabber.com/top-tastes-best-cinnamon-roll-in-south-pinellas/

01/14/2026

Here’s your weekly beach news. Find the best cinnamon rolls in South Pinellas, taste the Florida Keys, and do some bad art. https://mailchi.mp/thegabber/rolls-chowder-and-bad-art Photo by Morgan Wujkowski

Where is the best cinnamon roll in South Pinellas? Here are three places our food writer says satisfies the sweet tooth. Read more

01/11/2026

A new capybara-focused attraction is coming to St. Petersburg. CapyCove, founded by Brianna Holzerland, is planned for 2918 24th St. N. and is expected to open by May.

Holzerland describes the project as a tropical, backyard-style retreat for capybaras, the world’s largest rodent species known for their gentle temperament.

Read more business news at thegabber.com/capycove-capybara-oasis-coming-to-st-petersburg/

(Stock Photo)

01/11/2026

The Little Fruit Cart joined the St. Pete Pier Marketplace in early December, bringing a fresh, healthy option to the popular waterfront destination. 🍓🍍🍇

The business now sets up at the Pier (600 Second Ave. NE) on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. It also continues to appear at markets and festivals throughout the area.

Read more business news at thegabber.com/the-little-fruit-cart-joins-st-pete-pier-marketplace-lineup/

(Photo courtesy of The Little Fruit Cart)

01/10/2026

A new private members’ club, Medina 405, is opening this year inside the historic Snell Arcade in downtown St. Petersburg.

The 9,000-square-foot club at 405 Central Ave. blends the building’s 1920s architecture with contemporary design.

Read more business news at thegabber.com/medina-405-plans-to-open-in-st-petes-historic-snell-arcade/

(Photo by Beyond My Ken, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons)

01/10/2026

Matcha is an obsession, especially with the youthful foodies of Tampa Bay. 🍵

For those unfamiliar, matcha is a powdered green tea made from finely ground, shade-grown tea leaves. The taste is earthy and deeply vegetal — picture licking the bottom of a lawnmower. But Gen Z swear by it. 🙌

For this edition of The Gabber's Top Tastes, we sampled matcha at three different West St. Pete and Gulfport locales.

Read which were our favorites at thegabber.com/top-tastes-best-matcha-in-west-st-pete/

(Photos by Morgan Wujkowski)