The café also hosts book clubs, crossword groups, and open-mic nights that bring together poets, writers, and performers from Gulfport, St. Pete, Tierra Verde, and South Pasadena. Those events have often outgrown the current shop.
“By 5:30, we have people who come in and there’s nowhere to sit, so they have to end up leaving,” Jody said of the open-mic nights.
The new Salty Pup will offer more seating and longer hours, creating room for those gatherings and a new weekend brunch menu.
The café will also expand its beer and wine offerings, allowing customers to order a mimosa on Sunday or stay a little longer after lunch.
Next door, Electric Flamingo will have vendor booths ranging from roughly 8-by-8 to 10-by-10 feet. Vendors with larger furniture or displays will be able to combine spaces, while local artists, jewelry makers, and collage artists can lease gallery wall space.
The Musselmans expect the marketplace to carry a curated mix of vintage merchandise from the 1950s through the early 2000s, including furniture, clothing, vinyl, collectibles, and other finds.