New Asian fusion concept to debut inside Station House

The group behind some of the trendiest restaurants in St. Pete will debut its latest concept inside Station House this summer.

St. Petersburg-based restaurant management firm Hunger Thirst Group, which is behind the Park and Rec, No Vacancy, Dirty Laundry and The Avenue concepts, will open its new Asian fusion restaurant Good Fortune on the ground floor of the Station House at 260 1st Ave. S.

Golden Fortune’s Szechuan dumplings.  

“I’ve wanted to do this for the past 12 years,” HTG founder and CEO Stephen Schrutt said in an interview with the St. Pete Catalyst, stating how the longtime vision didn’t become a reality until now due to timing and other concepts coming to the forefront. “I have a love for Asian fusion and the different styles-Korean, Thai, Chinese.” 

The 6,000-square-foot space formerly housed a Japanese restaurant that went dark during the pandemic.  

Station House in St. Pete. File photo.

“I’ve known the owners a long time and they’ve been customers. We’ve had ongoing discussions about that space,” Schrutt said.

Station House is a 30,000-square-foot, century-old building that was converted from a fire station and hotel into a coworking hub. Schrutt was renovating a space on Central Avenue for the Dirty Laundry restaurant when the owners of Station House approached him about the opportunity. After negotiating for a few months, he executed a lease in the fall. 

He said the decision was a strategic move as he will inherit a space with a functional kitchen and existing clientele within the building. 

Another specialty cocktail drink that will be served at Golden Fortune.  

The restaurant will feature a 12-person sushi bar, a 14-seat bar and an upscale cocktail lounge. There will also be a private karaoke room, which can be rented by the hour. 

“I’m the type of person who likes to see unique things come together. I don’t want to have to do the same thing over and over,” he said, explaining how the other concepts are a testament to how he wants to create diversity in the city’s evolving food scene.

For example, Park and Rec, which is a gaming bar located downtown and inside Tropicana Field, is known for its arcade machines and outdoor lawn games. Another restaurant is the No Vacancy bar, which is located on Central Avenue that carries a Floridian retreat theme, and there’s also the Dirty Laundry concept, a speakeasy designed to appear like an ordinary laundromat. 

Golden Fortune’s coconut ube layer cake.  

While HTG has secured the Station House space, the Golden Fortune menu is still in development as Schrutt said he’s been busy taste-testing the items his team has created in the kitchen. 

He plans to have the Golden Fortune operate from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. or later on weekdays, and stay open till 1 a.m. on the weekends. The hours may change based on demand.