New concept to bloom in historic St. Pete bungalow

In the heart of St. Petersburg’s Grand Central District, a local couple is breathing new life into a 1920s bungalow.

Anthony Diaz and his fiancée Carly Dauscher are transforming the historic home into a one-of-a-kind destination: Pistil House, a combined flower shop and wine bar. Drawing inspiration from their time in Oregon’s renowned wine country and Diaz’s experience at St. Pete breweries and local businesses, the two aspire to create a space that blends the beauty of nature with wine, local craft beers, small bites and even coffee in the mornings.

“We’ve always loved flowers, we love having flowers in the house and giving flowers as gifts, but living in Oregon really had that explode for us because of the flower culture out there,” Diaz said. “They have all the flower farms in the summer and flower festivals, and there’s all this culture around flowers. It’s truly amazing, and we wanted to bring that back home here.”

Diaz and Dauscher grew up in Pinellas County and said they always dreamed of opening their own small business in St. Pete. Their 1,300-square-foot bungalow at 2533 1st Ave. S. “Pistil House” is a reference to the female reproductive parts of a flower. 

Pistil House will specialize in single-stem cut flowers, allowing visitors to create their own bouquets with local and more unique, imported stems. The couple is currently renovating the historic home, recently adding a new front window and weaving the floral concept throughout the retail and dining areas. 

“When we came across this house, it was just a perfect scenario,” Diaz said. “It was exactly what we were looking for at just the right time and place, and couldn’t have asked for a better location and venue.”

Diaz said they’ve purchased a trailer to use for floral refrigeration, which will be parked in the back alley behind the home, ensuring Pistil House always has a healthy stock of fresh blooms for customers to choose from.

“We’re really having fun putting the concept together because we have so much passion behind it. It’s all things that we love in a place that we would want to hang out.”

The couple will unveil Pistil House in June, aiming to officially open before St. Pete Pride June 22. They plan to serve coffee and pastries in the mornings and stay open through the early evening.

“It’s going to be open most of the day, but not a late-night spot, by any means,” Diaz said. “Our focus is the flowers; come for the flowers and stick around for a glass of wine, have some charcuterie, have a beer and hang out.”