TradeWinds Resort on St. Pete Beach has expanded its dining lineup with six new food and drink venues, marking one of the largest hospitality updates on the beach in recent years. All of the new outlets are operating at full capacity except Salty’s Beach Lounge, which is expected to open by the end of the year.
Armando Monterroso, vice president of food and beverage at TradeWinds, said the expansion created about two dozen new jobs. Despite the hurricane’s impact on some restaurants and bars, he said the resort retained all existing staff and added modest growth.
Monterroso stated, “Our goal is to craft a diverse portfolio of restaurants and bars throughout the resort, making it a destination where guests and the local community want to visit and stay at for a while.” The lineup now spans quick service, casual dining and upscale options with a range of price points.
RumFish Grill continues to anchor the resort with an upscale casual seafood and steakhouse menu. RumFish Sports Bar and Deck offers casual dining and live entertainment. Pete’s Gulf Bistro brings an American bistro menu with breakfast, lunch and dinner along with a craft cocktail program and a robust whiskey selection. Playa Taco serves fast-casual tacos and appetizers with an extensive tequila selection.
Palm Court Italian, a refreshed version of a long-running favorite, features classic red-sauce dishes and an outdoor patio for al fresco dining. Sunshine Grounds n’ Goods offers grab-and-go items and pastries through a partnership with Kahwa Coffee. A new ice cream shop uses products from Yoder’s Southern Creamery in Sarasota. Coastal Pizza offers reimagined classic and creative pizzas.
Monterroso said the investment behind the expansion was substantial and represents one of the first steps in the resort’s broader reimagining. Existing spaces across the property were renovated and repurposed to accommodate the new dining concepts.
“These additions significantly elevate our already robust offerings,” Monterroso told St. Pete Beach Today, and he expects the variety of new venues to help distribute crowds more evenly and may ease congestion at RumFish Grill and Palm Court Italian, though the concepts are also intended to attract younger travelers, locals and guests who want faster options.
TradeWinds is partnering with local suppliers where possible, including Yoder’s Southern Creamery for ice cream and Kahwa Coffee for grab-and-go items. The resort also works with local fish and seafood providers across its restaurants.
More changes are coming. Salty’s Beach Lounge is slated to reopen at the start of the new year. The Cabana Bar is scheduled to open in early 2026. Plans are underway to rebuild the Flying Bridge Fish Shack and the beachfront pool area at Island Grand as part of the longer redevelopment plan.
While no headline-name chefs are attached to the new restaurants, the resort is proud of its diverse culinary team and the menus they have developed.
