St. Petersburg’s 22 South food hall won’t close after all

ST. PETERSBURG — Following an abrupt shutter last week, the St. Petersburg food hall and culinary incubator 22 South will reopen after all.

“We’ve saved 22 South,” said Mario Farias, a managing partner of the Callaloo Group, the company behind the food hall inside the Historic Manhattan Casino.

After announcing the hall’s closing, Farias said he was contacted by a group of community members and St. Petersburg business leaders interested in becoming part of the revitalization project in St. Petersburg’s historic Deuces neighborhood. Eight new investors, partners and operators have now signed on to the hall, joining Farias and the hall’s other original partners, Greg Murray and Leigh Fletcher.

The hall opened April 30 and featured a concept that highlighted several restaurants under one roof. The hall’s majority owner, former Tampa Bay Buccaneers receiver Vincent Jackson, died in February. Farias said the hall was forced to close after Jackson’s trust no longer wanted to be involved in the project.

Since opening, the hall had already lost two of the opening restaurant concepts. When 22 South reopens, Farias said the remaining restaurants will return and will be joined by several new chefs and food concepts.

No opening date has been announced yet, but Farias estimated the hall would resume operations within a few weeks.