Revered by locals, beloved by visitors, Dead Bob’s has satiated burger lovers for over a decade. Now, owner Ben Scherlis has decided to upgrade. Dead Bob’s will be relocating to 6475 Central Avenue, just a few blocks from its current location in what was formerly Kay’s Family Restaurant. Scherlis is shooting for an opening date of January 1, 2025.

“The right time and right place presented itself,” says Scherlis. “I decided to make the move. I have three chefs right now working on top of each other. It’s a lot for a small kitchen. [the new] kitchen size will double.” With a bigger kitchen, they’ll be able to experiment more with their food specials. Along with a new partnership with Fish Busters, which will supply fresh grouper, golden tile fish, and hog fish.

New location will double the restaurant’s size

Besides the kitchen, the new Dead Bob’s will expand its footprint to about 2,500 square feet (over double its current 1,100 square feet). An expanded deck will also provide ample room to host regular live music, which isn’t possible at the current locations

Both the new and old Dead Bob’s locations were originally Chicken Unlimited establishments, a fast-food chain that operated through the 1970s, meaning the layouts are similar. Scherlis is taking advantage of the similarity. “I just love the bar at the current location,” says Scherlis. “[Since the layouts are similar] we’re going to remake it the same at the new spot.”

Where did the name “Dead Bob’s” come from?

Have you ever wondered why it’s called Dead Bob’s? Their menu gives a little story of the name’s origins, but owner Ben Scherlis tells me that’s not the true story. The real story, he says, happened about 11 years ago.

Scherlis and three other bar owners were weathering a rainstorm at a tiki bar. One of them declares that a great name for a bar would be Dead Bob’s. Think about it, he says. If you saw a blue neon sign while you were driving down the road that said “Dead Bob’s”, wouldn’t you want to go inside?

Scherlis’s friend continues: imagine going into a bar with that name. Imagine going in and asking the staff if the owner is around. But the staff says the owner isn’t here, that the owner is dead. Then imagine asking the staff: well then who’s in charge? And the staff responds: we don’t know; we’re still trying to figure out who’s in charge.

Keep up with the restaurant’s specials on Facebook. Current location: 6717 Central Ave

Hungry for more? See the hottest new restaurants now open and coming soon in St. Pete.