Florafte Bouquet Bar plans fall opening on Beach Drive in downtown St. Pete

What began with bouquets at Tampa Bay markets is changing unswerving into a build apart designed to lift participants throughout the day, from morning espresso and flower arranging to wine and tiny plates in the evening.

Florafête Bouquet Bar, a floral form commercial founded by Lucy Watkins, plans to open this tumble at 400 Seaside Pressure in downtown St. Pete.

The store will lift personalized preparations, a assemble-your-contain bouquet bar, retail goods, and a 9-seat wine and low bar together below one roof.

The build became once previously occupied by Enjoyable Spice Store, which completely closed in 2024.

Watkins, a Miami native with decades of hospitality ride, acknowledged the belief that grew out of an come upon with flower carts whereas visiting her place of initiating in 2021.

“On the time, I became once appropriate visiting Miami once I saw flower carts no longer handiest selling single-stem vegetation nonetheless also rising elephantine bouquets for folks on the avenue,” Watkins acknowledged.

Flower carts are a neatly-diagnosed sight in Miami, which serves because the nation’s predominant air gateway for imported vegetation. Miami World Airport says it handled 91% of U.S. flower imports arriving by air in 2025, with many reduce relief blooms coming from manufacturing services and products in Colombia and Ecuador.

Watkins began showcasing and designing bouquets at markets all through Tampa Bay in 2022. Build apart an convey to grew hastily, and Florafête grew to change into a elephantine-carrier floral form commercial rising preparations for weddings, corporate occasions, and special cases.

A storefront became once continuously portion of the notion, though Watkins on the starting build apart anticipated it to be on St. Pete Seaside.

She had been working toward a build at Dolphin Village when a 2025 fireside destroyed constructions in the Publix-anchored attempting heart and halted those plans.

Her cousin, a commercial genuine estate agent, later stumbled on the Seaside Pressure build.

Florafête is now present process an interior buildout led by Talica Invent.

The store will embody a public-going through retail build and a workshop the build apart the Florafête crew can put together preparations.

One facet of the build will feature tiered flower arrangements and a rotating weekly amount of blooms that customers can contain professionally arranged and wrapped on-station.

Cupboards would possibly well even lift candles and various artisan goods.

Chef Emily Ferrari, a chum of Watkins who formerly labored at Maritana on the Don CeSar on St. Pete Seaside, created the food menu.

The menu will embody light bites such as Caviar Crêpe Bites with crème fraîche, chive, and caviar; Pickled Strawberry Waffle Bites with whipped chèvre, sizzling honey, and thyme; Pink Whipped Chèvre; Engrossing Dill Scrape Dip; and Rainbow Crudités with a possibility of dips.

There would possibly well even be a form of salads including Hibiscus & Burrata, Grapefruit Gem, and Raspberry Beet.

Sandwiches will embody a Grilled Peach & Prosciutto baguette, an Apricot & Lavender Croissant with chorizo, and a Creamy Pesto Burrata sandwich.

Florafête would possibly well even offer assemble-your-contain boards for four or six participants, with a form of meats, cheeses, candy accompaniments, and savory additions.

With indoor tables and exterior seating along with the bar, the shop is anticipated to accommodate about 40 guests.

“I’m previous angry to in the damage contain a retailer that’s in a fine, walkable build and hope that the encircling agencies will proceed to lift explain and enhance every various,” Watkins acknowledged.

Florafête Bouquet Bar is anticipated to open in October.

While renovations proceed, flower deliveries and subscriptions are on hand throughout the Florafête web station.

After opening, Florafête plans to unbiased from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday.