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FLORIDA — From a neighborhood grocery store name the best in the U.S. to new fast-food and fine restaurant dining options ready for customers and a social club restoring its historic floating dance floor after the hurricanes, here are the latest business headlines from Florida Patch.

Fast Food Chain Opens New Restaurant In Bradenton Area

Chick-fil-A opened its newest restaurant in Manatee County on Thursday, creating about 130 jobs in the area.

St. Pete Grocery Store Best In U.S., Study Says

An Italian market in St. Petersburg is ranked as the No. 1 overall grocery store in the U.S., according to a new ranking.

Milkshake, Chocolate Shop Sets Opening Date In Tampa Area

A PA-based milkshake and chocolate shop is expanding in FL with a new location opening soon in Riverview.

Senior Health Care Hubs Open At 3 Tampa Bay-Area Walmarts

Three new Conviva Senior Primary Care centers have opened at Florida Walmart locations.

Foot Locker recently inked a deal for 111,000 square feet at 570 Carillon Parkway, a Class A office building, to move its HQ to St. Pete.

Modern Japanese Restaurant Concept Coming To University Town Center

James-Beard nominated restaurateurs who have a Michelin star are opening an upscale, modern Japanese restaurant in the UTC area.

2 New Restaurants Open At Water Street Tampa Hotels

Two new dining options, Riverwalk Terrace and Perk, have opened at two Water Street Tampa hotels.

St. Pete Beach Shopping Center Fire: 5 Things To Know

The Dolphin Village Shopping Center in St. Pete Beach is closed Wednesday after a fire that destroyed CVS, Publix and other businesses.

Specialty Grocer Hopes To Open Second Tampa Location: Report

National specialty grocery chain Trader Joe's is looking for a second location in the Tampa area, a report said.

National Off-Price Retailer Opening Relocated Store In University Mall

Burlington, a discount retailer selling everything from fashion to home goods, is opening its relocated University Mall-area store soon.

St. Pete Club Restores Historic Dance Floor In Months After Hurricanes

Through community support, the Polish American Society of St. Pete was able to restore its historic floating dance floor after hurricanes.

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Steve Simon, the Chairman of the WTA Tour, announced on Thursday that he will step away from his role in December after 10 years of service.

Steve has led the WTA throughout my playing career, including the last three years as a Players’ Council member, so I have seen first-hand how he has worked continuously for progress and growth in women’s tennis, and has been a champion for WTA’s values. I thank him for everything that he has done for the WTA and its players, and I wish him all the best for his retirement. Jessica Pegula

The former Indian Wells Tournament Director has overseen rises in player compensation, but taken heat for the WTA Tour’s stances on Saudi Arabia, China and Ukraine during his tenure.

Simon informed the WTA Board of Directors of his plans to retire in December, the organisation announced in a statement.

He served as Tournament Director of the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, California, for 13 years before being hired as the Chief Executive of the WTA in 2015.

Under his watch, the tour committed to a $400 million increase in player compensation over the next 10 years, created a foundation to elevate its social impact in communities around the world, and entered a partnership with CVC Capital Partners to establish a new division, WTA Ventures, to accelerate commercial growth and drive reinvestment in the sport.

Simon has also been a leading advocate for efforts to address the current fragmentation of professional tennis for the benefit of the players, tournaments, fans and other stakeholders.

Last year, the WTA restructured its leadership, with NBA G League executive Portia Archer taking over as CEO, leaving Simon to focus on strategic development and governance as Chairman.

“Leading the WTA over these 10 years has been an honor and I have been privileged to work with an amazing staff as well as many wonderful colleagues and friends across the tennis community,” Simon stated. “With an excellent leadership team and strong foundation in place, the WTA now has the structure, investment and talent to achieve its aspirations as it embarks on an exciting future.

“It is the right time for me to announce my retirement so that the Board has the fullest opportunity to appoint a new Chair that will lead the continued growth and development of this exceptional organization.

“Since day one, I have worked to deliver positive change and growth for women’s tennis, to advance the WTA values of progress, opportunity and empowerment, and to promote dialogue and collaboration between players, tournaments and partners across the game.

“I am proud of what we have accomplished and look forward to watching the continued rise of women’s tennis in years to come.”

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Not all has been smooth-sailing during his tenure, however, with Simon becoming a target for criticism over several issues, including tensions with China over the Peng Shuai affair in 2021 when he suspended all WTA tournaments in the country following the disappearance of the former World Doubles No 1.

The Chinese player, who in November that year accused a former senior leader of the Chinese Communist Party of forcing her into a sexual relationship, was not seen in public for several days, before finally reappearing in videos published by official media.

“In good conscience, I don’t see how I can ask our athletes to take part in tournaments when Peng Shuai is not allowed to communicate freely, and has, apparently, been pressured to retract her allegations of sexual violence,” Simon said at the time. “Given the current state of affairs, I am also greatly concerned about the risks that all of our players and staff could face if we were to hold events in China in 2022.”

Already reeling from lost revenues during the Covid-19 pandemic, the WTA Tour stood to lose hundreds of millions of dollars in the coming years by pulling out of China.

At the time, it had a 10-year deal to hold its season-ending tournament in Shenzhen, where organisers committed to some $150 million in prize money, and millions more to be spent on tennis development in the country.

In 2023, after a year and a half of little progress and the WTA Tour facing financial peril, Simon announced that the WTA would return to China, and tournaments resumed there again in September. despite the Peng situation showing ‘no sign of changing’.

The Chinese then broke their contract to host the Tour finals in Shenzen again, and a hastily cobbled-together Finals in Cancun turned into a logistical disaster, with a court that players called dangerous and swathes of empty seats in a small, temporary stadium built in a parking lot.

As of 2025, the WTA Tour holds 6 tournaments in China per year.

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In 2023, Simon was accused of psychological abuse by Ukraine’s Lesia Tsurenko, just under a year after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine that was aided by Belarus.

Tsurenko withdrew before a match against Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka at the WTA 1000 Indian Wells, saying she had had a panic attack after a discussion with the head of the WTA.

“He told me that he, himself, was against the war, but that if Russian or Belarusian players supported it, that was their own opinion, and that other people’s opinions shouldn’t bother me,” said the Ukrainian, who announced in mid-April that she was taking the WTA to court.

The WTA responded by emphasising that it had ‘condemned the war waged by Russia’ and taken ‘numerous measures’ to help Ukrainian players.

In November 2024 Tsurenko filed a lawsuit in the New York Southern District Court naming Simon and the WTA Tour as defendants and alleging ‘a breach of contract, negligence, negligent supervision and retention’ and ‘negligent infliction of emotional distress’, while requesting a jury trial.

© Matthew Stockman/Getty Images

In 2023, Hall of Famers Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova questioned how Simon could entertain the notion of hosting the WTA Finals in Saudi Arabia, because of questions over LGBTQ+ and women’s rights there.

Last year, Simon followed through with the proposal, reaching a deal for the WTA to hold the Finals in Rhiyad for the next 3 years, amid significant backlash from some of the sport’s biggest stars.

The Saudis had offered a deal that included record prize money of $15 million.

“We do compete in many countries that certainly reflect different cultures and value systems,” Simon said at the time. “We certainly understand and respect that Saudi is something that provokes some very strong views.

“Everyone’s going to be welcome at the finals, and I don’t anticipate anything more than positive experiences. We have assurances that everybody is welcome in the country to come and compete and work and do what needs to be done. They don’t judge anyone coming in.”

A pragmatist and consensus builder, who tries to move the tour methodically toward its goals, Simon has pushed for equal prize money with the men, but the changes are not mandatory until 2027 for the top tier events, and 2033 for the second-level tournaments.

Initially supportive of a significant change in the sport’s structure, and open to working with the Grand Slams to create a Premium Tour that could potentially increase prize money and make the tour less taxing for the top players, Simon changed his stance over the last 6 months, siding instead with Andrea Gaudenzi, the ATP’s Chairman, to try to maintain the status quo.

Currently a group of players and the nascent Professional Tennis Players Association (PTPA) are suing both the WTA and ATP Tours as well as the ITF in the hope of bringing major structural change to the sport.

© Matthew Stockman/Getty Images

Simon first informed the WTA Board of his planned retirement last autumn, and, to ensure a smooth transition, the Board will now begin a comprehensive selection process for the Chair position, supported by the global executive search firm Elevate Talent.

Following the implementation last year of a new leadership structure separating the roles of Chair and CEO, the Chair will focus on providing effective governance, setting the long-term vision and strategy for the WTA, and working with the wider tennis community to continue to develop the sport.

In addition, the Chair will represent the WTA at a global level, and address the major issues that affect the sport.

In the WTA press release, Jessica Pegula, PIF WTA World No 4 and member of the WTA Players’ Council, said: “Steve has led the WTA throughout my playing career, including the last three years as a Players’ Council member, so I have seen first-hand how he has worked continuously for progress and growth in women’s tennis, and has been a champion for WTA’s values.

“I thank him for everything that he has done for the WTA and its players, and I wish him all the best for his retirement.”

Adam Barrett, Chair of the WTA Tournament Council and WTA Board member, added: “On behalf of the WTA tournaments, I want to pay tribute to Steve for his vision and leadership over the last decade.

“He has been a force for progress whose commitment to women’s tennis is beyond question, and whose many achievements will leave a lasting and meaningful legacy for the game.

“As Steve’s retirement approaches, we are grateful to him, not just for his immense contribution to the WTA, but also for his support, collaboration and friendship.”

ST. PETE BEACH, FL — All businesses at the Dolphin Village Shopping Center on Gulf Boulevard remain closed Wednesday after a fire that tore through the plaza Tuesday remains under investigation, the city of St. Pete Beach wrote in a Facebook post.

Dozens of multiple agencies responded to a structure fire at the CVS pharmacy in the plaza around 2:45 p.m., the city said. About 42 units responded to the scene.

Though the fire was under control in about two hours, it later reignited, and spread across other businesses in the plaza, including the Publix grocery store.

Here are five things to know about Tuesday’s fire that tore through the busy beach shopping center:

1. Reports describe a chaotic scene when the fire broke out.

Find out what's happening in Pinellas Beachesfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

As shoppers at the plaza first noticed plumes of smoke — first white smoke, then black — billowing from the CVS, they began “frantically screaming,” witnesses told 10 Tampa Bay.

There were four people inside the building when the fire broke out and they came running out, but were safe. There were no injuries reported, the city said.

As firefighters arrived on the scene — about 42 units — the shopping plaza was evacuated and Gulf Boulevard was shut down to traffic.

“I literally walk outside, take a look, and I see a plume of smoke,” Jerry Zamudo, owner of Beach Vibe Cycle, told Bay News 9. “I’m like, ‘oh, my God — what’s going on here?’”

Many of the fire crews left the scene after the fire was contained about two hours later, though some remained.

It was a surprise to many when hot spots reignited and the fire spread to nearby businesses, including Publix.

Elisa Pisani told Patch that she was riding her bike in the area Tuesday evening when the fire reignited.

“It was so under control, a small smoke, and at sunset, it just erupted,” she said. “It’s a bit windy.”

Another witness told WFLA, “To see the whole building on fire was just tragic. You could actually hear the crackling of the things on fire. It was weird because it was different colored smoke at different times, so we didn’t know what was going on.”

2. The fire caused significant damage to numerous businesses in the plaza.

The CVS store is deemed a total loss after the fire initially broke out there, a spokesperson for the company told Fox 13. Those with immediate prescription needs can visit a nearby St. Petersburg location at 3501 54th Ave. S.

The fire caused extensive damage at the store, including a partial roof collapse, the city said. Nearby businesses were also thought to have smoke and water damage.

When hot spot fires ignited in void spaces within the CVS building’s front facade, where there were no clear access points, later that evening, fire crews breached the structure’s exterior using hose line pressure to reach and extinguish the flames, the city said.

Despite this, the fire spread to nearby businesses most notably the Publix grocery store, which photos show in flames Tuesday night. Other businesses also caught fire or suffered further smoke and water damage.

The extent of the damage to the Publix store hasn’t been reported yet.

Other businesses impacted include the UPS Store, Hungry Howie's Pizza, Swim City and an AT&T store, reports said.

3. Many of the businesses affected in the fire only recently recovered from hurricane damage.

St. Pete Beach was among the Tampa Bay-area communities hardest hit by Hurricane Helene, which slammed Florida’s West Coast at the end of September 2024.

Storm surge along Pinellas County beaches, including St. Pete Beach, reached more than 7 feet in some areas.

"I feel bad for the stores and the employees. They've been through a lot this year. I believe this facility was damaged by Helene and Milton, so they've already gone through remediation once this year and they're going to have to go through it again," Marc Portugal, the city’s public information officer, told Fox 13.

A witness told WFLA, “I helped some of these people through the hurricane, so I know what they’re going through financially already.”

4. The cause of the fire is still unknown.

The shopping center remains active Wednesday morning, as crews have stayed at the scene to prevent other hot spots from flaring up and to investigate what started the blaze.

The cause of the fire isn’t known yet, the city said.

All businesses in the plaza, even those that weren’t damaged by the fire, will remain closed Wednesday out of precaution.

A 24/7 livestream from the Dolphin Landings Charter Boat Center located behind the shopping center shows activity at the scene, including crews occasionally spraying the building with water.

5. The community is supporting the destroyed and damaged businesses.

Other businesses and organizations in the area shared support for those affected by the fire on social media.

“Our hearts are with everyone affected by the fires at Dolphin Village in St. Pete Beach yesterday. It's been a long day and even longer night for the community. We will continue to prove how resilient we are together,” Rick’s Reef wrote in a Facebook post.

Barefoot Beach Resort also posted support for the businesses on Facebook, writing, “Our thoughts are with our friends in St. Pete Beach at Dolphin Village shopping center. Earlier today the CVS caught fire — it apparently was treated but then the Publix caught fire and it is now ablaze.Please send good thoughts to those affected and the fire fighters working hard to extinguish it.”

“Our hearts are going out to our friends at Dolphin Village tonight. Thankful for all our first responders serving,” the Tampa Bay Beaches Chamber wrote in a Facebook post.

The Brief

ST. PETE BEACH, Fla. - Investigators are working to figure out what caused a large fire at a St. Pete Beach CVS, which later spread to Publix and other stores on Tuesday, leading to an hours-long effort to put the flames out.

Fire destroys CVS

Timeline:

Crews initially responded around 2:45 p.m. Tuesday to CVS at 4685 Gulf Blvd., in the Dolphin Village shopping center.

St. Pete Beach officials said four people were inside the store and got out safely, with heavy smoke billowing from the building as the three-alarm fire burned. It forced nearby stores to evacuate, and several neighboring agencies responded as well.

A massive three-alarm fire tore through a CVS on Gulf Boulevard in St. Pete Beach on Tuesday afternoon, forcing nearby stores to evacuate.

St. Pete Beach Communications Manager Marc Portugal said CVS’ roof partially collapsed, but crews contained the fire around six p.m.

Flames spread to Publix and beyond

Then, around 9 p.m., hot spots ignited in the building’s front facade and the fire spread, damaging several other stores, like the Publix, Swim City, Hungry Howie’s, an AT&T store and the UPS shop.

City staff said it was like a game of whack a mole, but crews contained the fire by 11:30 p.m. Despite the extensive damage, St. Pete Beach officials say no injuries have been reported.

A large fire destroyed a CVS store in St. Pete Beach, then spread to Publix and other stores in the Dolphin Village shopping center.

Nick Johnson’s family owns Swim City, which’s right next to CVS and just reopened in February after Hurricanes Helene and Milton.

"It's been pretty, pretty devastating to see," he said. "It's extremely difficult for a small family business. My parents started it right before I was born, and now I'm kind of taking on more of a role with the company, and so, it's been very challenging. We're rolling with the punches, and we'll get through it, but it's just a lot to take on right now," he said.

CVS has extensive damage, a spokesperson for CVS said. The spokesperson also said employees can transfer to nearby CVS locations, and people with immediate prescription needs can visit the downtown St. Pete location at 3501 54th Ave. South.

A Publix spokesperson said they’ve relocated employees to different locations as well. A UPS spokesperson said they’re working to redirect mail and deliveries to the UPS location at 13799 Park Blvd. North in Seminole.

People nearby react to fires

What they're saying:

"I kind of just sat in my car waiting around a little and then all of a sudden, eight fire trucks started coming in," Raymond Stith, who works at Jersey Mikes in the building next door to the CVS, said Wednesday.

Stith said he was on his break and was about to go into the CVS when he saw smoke.

"I was genuinely concerned that our place would burn down as well," he said.

"It was terrifying," Alex Sparra, who was near the scene when the fire spread, said. "I heard the alarms go off and all the people come out, and within five minutes the whole thing was ablaze."

Frederick DeNike and his wife came to the CVS to pick up their prescriptions around 7:45 p.m. Tuesday.

"My wife went up to them and said, ‘we want to pick up the prescriptions,’" DeNike said. "She goes, ‘I’m sorry lady, but CVS is burned down,’" he said.

DeNike and others said most of the stores in the plaza had recently reopened after the hurricanes.

"We've just been through so much, you know," he said. "We just went through two hurricanes, which damaged a lot of these stores that had to take a long time to reopen again and now this. So, it really hurts the community. I mean, this was just not an area where the people who live here all year long shop, but all the seasonal vacationers … this is where they would come pick up their groceries," DeNike said.

"It's going to be a difficult time for everybody. But you know, something, St. Pete is strong and it'll come back. It came back after the hurricanes," DeNike said.

Several people throughout the day Wednesday came to get a look at the damage for themselves, like Jim Jarrell, who has lived in St. Pete Beach for 16 years and said he came to this Publix almost every day.

"It’s a devastating loss for us," Jarrell said. "It was total devastation from the hurricanes. So now, to see this, people are just getting back on their feet. It’s pretty shocking."

As for the stores that are still open at the plaza, the owners say they’re concerned about business now that the plaza’s anchors are gone for now.

"This is a major hub here for this entire community and also for beach goers and visitors from all over the world or all over country," said. Jerry Zamudio, owner of beach Vibe Cycle Rentals, said. "This Publix is very integral to this community. So is the CVS. I mean, without this, we wouldn't have the foot traffic or even the traffic that we get because this is where people come to eat and people who live in the surrounding area, like ourselves, come here for groceries and what not. So, this is a big loss, major, major loss," he said.

Crews set up a fence Wednesday around the damage and officials are asking the public to avoid the area as the investigation continues.

"I feel bad for the stores and the employees. They've been through a lot this year. "I believe this facility was damaged by Helene and Milton, so they've already gone through remediation once this year and they're going to have to go through it again," Portugal said Wednesday morning.

Other stores at the shopping center are still open, but the stores from the CVS through the Publix are closed. It's not known each of the businesses will reopen. Fire crews continue to monitor the scene and have been there 24/7 since the fire broke out Tuesday afternoon.

Crews from several agencies worked late into the night to get the fire under control.

Some of the damage is visible from the outside, where multiple stores' front walls and signs crumbled to the ground.

In addition to CVS and Publix, businesses that have been impacted include the UPS Store, Hungry Howie's Pizza, Swim City and an AT&T store – all of which recently reopened after suffering damage during the 2024 hurricanes.

Despite the extensive damage, St. Pete Beach officials say no injuries have been reported.

While much of the shopping center remains blocked off, Gulf Blvd. is back open as of Wednesday morning. Still, officials are asking the public to avoid the area as the investigation continues.

RELATED: 'Flames shooting out': Residents react to St. Pete Beach CVS fire, as store shuts down again

What's next:

Officials say all businesses in the complex will remain closed on Wednesday as a precaution. It's not known whether each of the businesses will reopen.

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The Source: This story was written with information from officials in St. Pete Beach, interviews with neighbors and previous FOX 13 News reports.

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ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Investigators will try to piece together what cause a huge fire Tuesday at the Dophin Village Plaza in St. Pete Beach Tuesday.

Flames tore through stores in the shopping plaza Tuesday afternoon before reigniting late Tuesday, prompting crews to fight the fire twice.

Crews battled the three-alarm fire for hours Tuesday afternoon, and were back at it Tuesday night.

A city spokesperson said no injuries were reported as of Tuesday evening. There is also no word on what caused the fire.

What You Need To Know

The exteriors of several other businesses could be seen damaged, including a Publix, UPS Store, Hungry Howie’s Pizza and an AT&T Store.

Even before this latest round of flames, a St. Pete Beach spokesperson said the CVS was a total loss.

Crews from multiple cities helped get the fire under control earlier Tuesday night.

“I literally walk outside, take a look, and I see a plume of smoke,” said Jerry Zamudo, owner of Beach Vibe Cycle. “I’m like, ‘oh, my God — what’s going on here?’”

Zamudo’s business is on the other side of the plaza from CVS.

“It was pretty intense,” he said. “At one point, there was a distinct smell, almost like a copper smell, in the air.”

Susan Hilton, a frequent customer of the CVS, found out about the fire like Zamudo did, but from a little farther away.

“Well, I come here almost every day. It’s my favorite store, and I get my prescriptions here,” she said. “I saw the big, black smoke from Fort De Soto beach, and I thought, ‘what the heck is going on over there?’”

She says she planned to stop by Tuesday to pick up prescriptions, but that’s not her main concern.

“Just sad because I know the people in this store, and I’ve been living in this area for 17 years. So, it’s sad,” said Hilton.

A spokesperson for CVS says people with immediate prescription needs can visit the store at 3501 54th Ave. S.