Jackie Z “here to stay” after 10 years in the Sundial

In the face of recent closures and an uncertain future for downtown St. Petersburg’s Sundial shopping center, one local business is not only surviving but thriving. 

Jackie Z Style Co., a family-owned boutique, is celebrating its 10-year anniversary at the Sundial and expanding its footprint.

After pursuing a career in marketing, owner Jackie Zumba said her love of fashion led her to establish her first Jackie Z Style Co. store in Sarasota in 2011, adding the St. Petersburg location in 2012. The Sarasota location has since closed, with Zumba saying, “We’re all in on St. Pete.”

Despite news that the seafood restaurant Sea Salt will close its Sundial location at the end of the year, Zumba remains optimistic about the future of the shopping center at 152 2nd Ave. N., which has recently been under construction as part of a $3 million renovation project.

Jackie Zumba and Brian Kins (with their daughter Ansley) own and operate Jackie Z Style Co., one of the longest-standing tenants of the Sundial shopping center. Photo provided.

“We used to be on the other side [of the complex], near Locale Market, and then we expanded to a bigger space right around 2020,” Zumba recalled. “During the construction, it was not fun dealing with that for months, because it looked like we were closed. But we have a big following, so we kept in touch with our clients and that really kept us going.”

“Now we’re actually expanding again for the second time, taking over the space next door,” Zumba added. “We’re at about 3,000 square feet now, and with the expansion, it’ll be almost 4,000.”

Jackie Z carries a variety of men’s and women’s clothing, shoes and accessories, ranging from high-end designer brands like Fendi, Celine and Gucci to more affordable items around the $50 price point. Zumba credits the store’s success to her family’s daily involvement.

“We are really engaged with our customers,” Zumba said. “My husband and I are physically very active in the store. We’re also very involved with the community. I think the fact that we’re family-owned and ‘boots on the ground,’ actually running it, makes a big difference compared to a company where the owners are not present. We’re hustling to make it work, no matter what happens.”

St. Petersburg-based Paradise Ventures, which purchased the Sundial shopping plaza in 2022, is working with Ally Capital Group in Tampa to redevelop the plaza into a modern destination with an enhanced courtyard. Paradise Ventures purchased the 85,357-square-foot property – less than a quarter mile from bustling Beach Drive – for $27.5 million from local businessman Bill Edwards.

A rendering of the new Sundial courtyard, currently under construction. Image: Paradise Ventures.

Since then, the new owners have been working on updating the plaza (despite an ongoing legal dispute) and filling the vacant spaces with new tenants. California-based Prenuvo, a medical technology startup, recently leased 5,600 square feet at the Sundial, and the developers announced the addition of Serotonin Center, a Central Florida-based wellness and anti-aging franchise, in 2023. The owner of Forbici Modern Italian, a South Tampa restaurant, also announced plans to open in the plaza. 

Plans for the Sundial include transforming the open-air courtyard into a communal greenspace with an outdoor bar and programming. In a recent interview with the Catalyst, Paradise Ventures CEO Mike Connor said retail space buildouts on the western end are ongoing, and tenant interest remains strong: “We’re happy with the progress we’re making, both with the courtyard and the leasing.”

Jeff Gigante, owner of Forbici Modern Italian, envisions guests ordering and receiving food from any Sundial establishment while sitting at the reimagined courtyard’s bar. Image: Paradise Ventures/Behar and Peteranecz Architecture.

Jackie Z’s success story is particularly noteworthy given the Sundial’s tumultuous history. The shopping center, which originally opened in 2000 under the name BayWalk, has seen multiple ownership changes and has struggled to maintain consistent foot traffic and occupancy rates.

However, Zumba sees potential in the center’s future.

“We’re really excited for Forbici to come,” she said. “We met with [restaurant owner] Jeff Gigante recently and he’s got such a positive outlook and such high hopes for the center. I think he’s going to bring the new energy to St. Pete in general, and kind of bring that Tampa fun, Hyde Park vibe to us here at the Sundial. That’s the goal: to have people come, hang out, drink, eat, shop and do everything right here.”

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