\u201cI want to keep the legacy going, but we\u2019re having a challenge of getting fresh things in the community,\u201d Gardner said.<\/p>\n
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Lorene\u2019s Fish House patrons have been asking Gardner on Facebook for staples from Lorene\u2019s on the LOVE22 menu, especially the peanuts. Gardner will have a few items similar to Lorene\u2019s, but she\u2019s intent on changing it up.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019ll be able to get a shrimp basket or a chicken wing basket, but you could have a coleslaw with it, right? We\u2019ve got to balance it out,\u201d Gardner said.<\/p>\n
LOVE22\u2019s sandwich menu stands out, given that there\u2019s no sandwich shop in the neighborhood corridor, which is south of downtown St. Petersburg along 22nd Street. The chicken Caesar wrap is a bite worth looking forward to, Gardner said. With anchovies and in-house brioche croutons and Caesar dressing, customers can choose between grilled or fried chicken, topped with shaved Parmesan. The Cuban will be another star \u2014 LOVE22 plans to smoke pork daily for the sandwich.<\/p>\n
Customers craving a heartier meal can opt for a steak-and-cheese bomb. Salads include a Caesar from Coasis and cold seafood antipasto salads.<\/p>\n
On the Sunday soul food menu, customers should anticipate pancakes with homemade maple butter and breakfast sandwiches on fresh croissants. People can eat indoors by the takeout counter or in the gated patio, which features a bar.<\/p>\n
In the speakeasy lounge, they\u2019ll servecocktails along with tapas. If you want a margarita with fresh lime juice, the bar will have it. The menu will pack \u201cbig punches with smaller portions\u201d in a DJ-focused, swanky space. The color scheme is red and black \u2014 think plush couches, red curtains and red uplighting.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen you walk in, you feel love, you feel sexy, you feel good about yourself,\u201d Gardner said. \u201cI feel like we need that.\u201d<\/p>\n
The name LOVE22 combines the 22nd Street corridor and love.<\/p>\n
\u201cI feel like the south side could use some love, peace, a space of belonging,\u201d Gardner said. \u201cI want people to come in this space and it feels like home.\u201d<\/p>\n
Gardner, who describes herself as a serial entrepreneur, started the well-known Three Generations food truck<\/a> in St. Petersburg and Coasis<\/a> in Tampa. Though she was born in Miami, St. Petersburg is Gardner\u2019s hometown, and she promised herself her next endeavor would act as a return to her roots.<\/p>\n Gardner has never been nervous about serving upfood before, but she is this time. Though the St. Petersburg community knows Gardner well, the loss of Lorene\u2019s Fish House is monumental and, for many, bittersweet.<\/p>\n Gardner wants to honor Lorene\u2019s legacy by aiming for decades of business \u2014 and ownership of the space, which Lorene Office didn\u2019t have. Gardner bought LOVE22\u2019s lounge from the Brayboys, a Black couple in their 70s who own most of the businesses on 22nd Street, a few years ago. One day, she hopes to own the whole place.<\/p>\n In Gardner\u2019s vision, the Deuces becomes a center of thriving black-owned businesses witha variety of food, cultures and communities, replacing the food deserts she\u2019s observedin the area. The Brayboys, who Gardner calls her mentors, imagine the future Deuces as a place with bars, coffee shops, cocktails and eateries.<\/p>\n The Brayboys think she\u2019s the one to bring that to the block, Gardner said. Lorene told her so, too: \u201cYou\u2019re the one,\u201d Gardner recalled.<\/p>\n LOVE22\u2019s takeout counter will open June 19 at 11 a.m., and serve customers every day from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.<\/p>\n \u2022 \u2022 \u2022<\/p>\n The Tampa Bay Times Food Hub launched in 2026, a four-person team covering Tampa Bay\u2019s dynamic and expanding food scene. You can contribute to the hub through our journalism fund by clicking here<\/a>.<\/p>\n Want food news weekly in your inbox? Sign up for our newsletter<\/a>.<\/p>\n Top 50 Restaurants: Check out our food critic\u2019s list<\/a> of the area\u2019s best spots.<\/p>\n Follow our updates on the local restaurant landscape on Instagram at @tampabaytimesfood<\/a>.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/855ebf1be3acd6022cd7d7641d48ec13.jpeg\"\/)
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