Intermezzo to relocate due to plans for new hotel

Intermezzo Coffee and Cocktails owner Jarrett Sabatini has found a new home for the business, as its current storefront – at 1111 Central Ave. – will be demolished to make way for a new hotel development. 

Sabatini said he has inked a lease for a storefront at 1049 Central Ave., a mere several hundred feet from Intermezzo.  

It’s the former home of the Independent Bar, which closed last year. 

“I knew we were going to find a long-term solution, and when this came up for lease, it was the best-case scenario,” Sabatini said, explaining it was paramount for Intermezzo to stay in the same neighborhood. Sabatini’s business was inspired by the culture of European and American cafes in the 1950s and ’60s. 

“This is an expansion of who we are; this is our next chapter,” he said. The move will commence later this year. 

1049 Central Ave., St. Petersburg. GoogleMaps.

Prominent Edge District developer Jon Daou, who is developing the new hotel project at the site and is a partial owner of Intermezzo, worked with Sabatini in securing the former Independent Bar space, which Daou and investor Blake Whitney Thompson own. 

Sabatini signed the 10-year lease for the new space in March. He also executed a separate lease for the adjacent lot.

The storefront offers 1,600 square feet of interior space and a 1,700-square-foot patio.

“The outside lot was very enticing. We will have cafe seating in the front like we currently have, and we will be able to offer additional seating on the side for customers who want to experience al fresco dining,” he said, also describing the interior of the building as having a vintage and industrial vibe. 

Sabatini plans to repaint the building, extend the bar and order new equipment. 

“I’ve learned a lot of lessons over time at Intermezzo. With the new location, we will be able to down on our cocktail component with a bigger craft cocktail bar,” he said. “There isn’t a kitchen area in the building, so we will be doing minor renovations and have a prep area as we create our syrups and infusions.”

With the new outdoor seating, Sabatini said he may offer canned cocktails or cocktails on tap while continuing to offer “traditional” coffee menu items. 

The planned move come as Daou is moving forward on his plans to build a 13-story, 114-room hotel and mixed-use development on the corner of Central Avenue and 11th Street North.

The initial phase of the $26 million project calls for Intermezzo Coffee’s building to be demolished. Daou’s team would convert the area to a pedestrian-only connection “promoting cross-block connectivity” adjacent to the hotel, according to city documents.

A rendering of Eastman Equity’s proposed hotel at 1111 Central Ave. All images: City of St. Petersburg/Alfonso Architects.

The plans were unveiled last year, and Sabatini said the proposed project is exciting, and needed for the continuation of the evolution of the district.

He said during his first two years of doing business in St. Pete, there wasn’t a “real neighborhood,” recalling how he would park in a dirt lot next to his building, but over a six-year period, it has “blown up.”

“This is a huge opportunity to solidify the Edge,” Sabatini said. “It’s going to bring really good clientele to the neighborhood.”