The St. Pete Brasserie is expanding its digs at 539 Central Avenue.
According
to owner Andrew Wilkins, the restaurant is building out the 600-foot
space next door to provide seating for the Brasserie's busy lunch crowd
as well as a space for music lovers to enjoy live music at night. "It's
just been an overflow for the main dining room and private parties up
until now," says Wilkins. "Once it's completed, it will open at 11 a.m.,
offering lunch all day and also late-night food with live entertainment
in the evenings."
The Brasserie offers an eclectic
menu of European fare that includes cassoulet, rack of lamb, escargot and paella.
The
restaurant went through a distressing period recently and its future
was uncertain. Wilkins says it was the support of the community that not
only brought The Brasserie from the brink, but enabled it to thrive to
the point of expansion. "Local support has been amazing in the last
month," he says. "
Facebook has been a key part to our increase in business along with a
Bay News 9 story that went out a short while ago."
Wilkins, a native of Norwich, U.K., started his restaurant career with
Ceviche.
"I was an original Ceviche guy from 2000 till 2008, so I moved to St.
Pete to open Ceviche in 2005. After leaving Ceviche I was waiting for
the right opportunity to come up. I didn't have a penny to my name so
all I could do was to take over a failing restaurant and re-concept it
and hoped it worked."
Writer:
Missy KavanaughSource: Andrew Wilkins, The Brasserie
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