ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The Saint, everyone's favorite sinful speakeasy, will be accepting its last confessions in the coming months.
The bar known for its craft cocktails, blood-red lighting and clever Catholic theming announced this week that it will be closing in November after four successful years in Downtown St. Pete.
"Themed bars have become the norm in St. Petersburg and we wanted to make sure The Saint went out on top," owner David Fischer said in a statement. "The Saint is a completely unique place and the first speakeasy of its kind in St. Pete; we have so many memories and moving on is bittersweet."
The good news for loyal patrons — the bar isn't going away for good. While The Saint as we know it will be closing, Pour Behavior Hospitality will be turning the space into a completely new concept.
It's a risk Fischer says is necessary to continue innovating in the Grand Central bar and restaurant space.
"With weekends still seeing a packed sold out speakeasy, most owners wouldn't make this bold move," he said. "We believe that Pour Behavior is known for pushing the envelope and innovating new experiences."
The hospitality group also owns Zazoo'd, Cocktail, The Wet Spot and the Mari Jean Hotel.
The company plans to keep all of the employees who currently work at The Saint and even hire additional staff members to support the new concept.
And there's even more good news. The space is only expected to be closed for a few weeks while the company transforms it.
"We're creating something that St. Pete has never seen. The Saint is known for pushing boundaries, and we're going to continue to do so," Fischer said.
The company didn't give many hints on the theme of the new space but said it will be "incredibly immersive."
"It will also be able to evolve with our rapidly growing city," Fischer added.
