CellarMasters, which offered locals a place to enjoy fine wines in a no-fuss, dive-bar environment, announced its closure Tuesday.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — One of St. Pete’s favorite local wine bars and bottle shops has closed its doors for good.
CellarMasters, which offered people a place to enjoy fine wines in a no-fuss, dive-bar environment, announced its closure Tuesday in a post on Instagram.
“Sorry folks, due to less than financially viable pass-thru and patronage…we out,” owner Ryan Rugg wrote. “Thanks for the party times, truly…”
Rugg listed the dates “5/20/2020 – 10/15/2025” to commemorate the bar’s five years on 1st Avenue N.
The announcement drew an outpouring of love from locals online, reflecting on the unique space CellarMasters created in St. Pete.
“Cellars will forever be in our hearts, cellars was such an integral part of the community constantly helping everyone, going above and beyond, even creating space for different chefs to host pop-ups, truly one of kind! You will be missed,” one user wrote.
“You built something worthwhile and we have years of memories of amazing nights with wonderful people,” another added.
CellarMasters prided itself on offering something different, “natty/minimal stuff” with no wine list. But, as Rugg told the Tampa Bay Times, new wine places catering to a similar crowd in St. Pete played a factor in the business’s downfall.
As for what’s next for the winemaker and bottle shop veteran, Rugg said “it might be onward and upward to something different completely,” the Times wrote.
“We captivated a younger clientele at a time that was important and hopefully that lives on,” the CellarMasters’ owner told the publication.
The video below is from 10 Tampa Bay News’ visit to CellarMasters in 2022.