Although construction of the new Pier in St. Petersburg is still in the early phases, Friday marked the first tenant to sign on to operate in the new space.
- Doc Ford's Bar and Grille will be located at Pier
- Business is considered destination seafood restaurant
- Will be located at current Pelican parking lot
Doc Ford's Bar and Grille will take up shop in what is currently the Pelican parking lot on the pier site.
Mayor Rick Kriseman calls the restaurant a great fit.
"Really the whole concept of Doc Ford's who's a marine biologist, having it at the pier where we're going to have a marine education center," the mayor said.
"There's just a symbiotic nature of this restaurant with what's going on at the pier. It just makes sense," Kriseman said.
Doc Ford's has a reputation south of Tampa Bay as a destination seafood restaurant.
Its namesake is also the stuff of novels thanks to New York Times best-selling author Randy Wayne White, whose books depict a marine biologist turned spy.
In a statement to Spectrum Bay News 9, Doc Ford's partner Mark Marinello said, "Doc Ford's is very excited to become a part of the St. Petersburg community. We will work hard to ensure the success of our partnership with the city and most importantly, will do our best to exceed the people of St. Petersburg’s expectations."
Doc Ford's currently has locations in Captiva Island, Sanibel and Fort Myers Beach.