Ellison Development<\/a>, the project\u2019s developer, said Zakarian\u2019s restaurant will seat over 200 people. CEO Casey Ellison called the internationally known chef and TV personality\u2019s involvement a \u201cdefining moment for The Central\u2019s vision.\u201d<\/p>\n\u201cEverything at The Central is rooted in quality, from the design to the experiences we\u2019re creating,\u201d Ellison added. \u201cBringing in Geoffrey Zakarian for his first new restaurant in nearly a decade is a perfect example of that commitment.<\/p>\n
\u201cHis decision to come to St. Pete validates our belief that people are seeking out places and projects defined by excellence, and The Central is setting that standard.\u201d<\/p>\n
Zakarian\u2019s only restaurant worldwide will sit adjacent to Central Hotel\u2019s lobby. The Halcyon directly connects to the facility, and its tenants can seamlessly access on-demand meeting and conference spaces enhanced by a comprehensive hospitality program.<\/p>\n
The \u201cIron Chef\u201d specializes in modern American cuisine and has led some of the nation\u2019s top kitchens for over 25 years. Zakarian earned a Michelin Star at his former restaurant, Country, which opened in Manhattan\u2019s Carlton Hotel in 2005.<\/p>\n
He became a regular on The Food Network in 2009, earning the title of Iron Chef in 2011. Zakarian now lives in the area and recently partnered with Tampa General Hospital, where he serves as culinary director.<\/p>\n
\u201cChef Geoffrey Zakarian\u2019s decision to launch his next concept here elevates St. Pete\u2019s growing reputation as a premier food destination and underscores our city as a place where innovation and excellence thrive,\u201d said Mayor Ken Welch. \u201cThis restaurant at The Central will be a remarkable addition that reflects our city\u2019s momentum for both residents and visitors alike.\u201d<\/p>\n
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The newly named Central Hotel will feature a rooftop pool bar.<\/p>\n
According to Ellison Development, Marriott \u201chand-selected\u201d the Central Hotel to join its Autograph Collection brand. The facility will reflect the EDGE District\u2019s \u201cenergy and story.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Vinoy Resort & Golf Club is currently St. Petersburg\u2019s lone Autograph Collection property. Fenway Hotel in Dunedin, The CURRENT and Epicurean Hotels in Tampa, Waterline Villas & Marina in Holmes Beach and the Art Ovation Hotel in Sarasota also operate under the brand.<\/p>\n
Central Hotel will feature an elevated private dining room above the lobby for intimate events programmed by Zakarian. The mezzanine level will also include a Listening Lounge with live jazz, piano or pop-up DJ sets.<\/p>\n
A third-floor ballroom with a dedicated bar and lounge can accommodate 125 guests. The hotel will also feature a two-story theater with velvet curtains and ideal acoustics for performances, presentations and corporate events.<\/p>\n
A rooftop ballroom on the 15th floor will provide up to 150 guests with 270-degree views of downtown St. Petersburg and the waterfront. Ellison expects construction on Central Hotel to begin in early 2026.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe look forward to building something world-class that both the community and visitors will love,\u201d Zakarian said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"A Michelin-starred and Emmy-nominated chef is bringing his culinary expertise to St. Petersburg. Geoffrey Zakarian, widely known for…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":13749,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[202,204,203,199,201,200],"class_list":["post-13748","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-st-petersburg","tag-st-pete","tag-st-pete-headlines","tag-st-pete-news","tag-st-petersburg","tag-st-petersburg-headlines","tag-st-petersburg-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13748","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13748"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13748\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/13749"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13748"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13748"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13748"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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