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The Garden to become Calypso

The Garden to become Calypso

Many of us have noticed with some trepidation the closed doors of The Garden and The Lobby and wondered what was happening on the other side of the wall. iLovetheBurg.com scheduled a sneak peek of what is soon to be the Calypso Rum Bar and Island Grill with Matt Lloyd, Vice President of Operations at Jannus Live. 

“It (the opening date) is ambitious but that’s how we like it,” says Matt. “We really want to open up the place with some bright colors and add some life.” Matt tours us around the construction and explains the vision. Jannus Live Owner Jeff Knight grew up in the Caribbean and is bringing a piece of the islands with him to Calypso. What used to be the Lobby is going to be filled with high table seating that can be stored when it’s time to dance. Affordable island foods like conch and jerk chicken are sure to make appearances. The towering banyan tree in the courtyard is staying, but the potted plants around it are gone and fresh pavers are coming in this week.

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“We’re not out to ‘destroy’ the Garden,” says Matt and knocks on a copper bar top. “This place has great bones and history, this (project) is about maximizing the space while keeping that.” The room that acted as a sort of quasi-private lounge is going to get some antique billiard tables and the historic-looking elevator in The Lobby could become a sort of photo-booth. Colorful sails may hang from the ceiling. The kitchen has been completely stripped down and new, bigger equipment like a giant hood will meet new dining demands. Most symbolic of all, the street wall is coming down and a wrought iron, retractable fence is going up so seating can spill onto the sidewalk.

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We can’t wait to enjoy the new place and it seems like they’re trying to keep what we loved while embracing something new. Where the Garden was walled, dark and button-up, Calypso will be open, bright and casual. The question is no longer “what is on the other side of the wall?” but, “when does the wall come down?”

The Calypso plans on a soft opening on November 20th. The Calypso will be located at 217 Central Avenue in downtown St. Pete.

Article Written by Norris Comer, Writer/Editor for iLovetheBurg.com


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