Not that cold deli sandwiches and canned beverages in the cooler aren’t great, but sometimes it’s nice to spice up your beach day food and drink a little bit. Three new concepts along St. Pete’s hometown beach are here to help us cool down and fill up, with the newly-opened Sand Dollar Kitchen at the Don Cesar’s Beach House Suites, the Leaping Llama Café on Pass-a-Grille, and the upcoming Beverly’s Coffee & Ice Cream on St. Pete.

The historic Don Cesar Hotel unveiled the Sand Dollar Kitchen yesterday, a walk-up food truck located at their Beach House Suites (3860 Gulf Boulevard) right next to the scenic Sand Dollar Bar on the beach. Complete with a custom truck wrap designed by famed St. Pete artist Chad Mize, the new waterfront kitchen serves up snackable, beach-friendly dishes sure to attract beach-goers and sea gulls alike.

Open daily from 12-6 pm, the Sand Dollar Kitchen provides casual but still creative and handcrafted options for those strolling the beach to stop in for something tasty. The menu at the new spot is heavy on crunchy, cheesy, and beefy concoctions, such as their “Nacho Mama” nacho platter of fried tortilla chips piled high with cheese sauce, olives, jalapeños, chili con carne, green onions, pico, guacamole, and sour cream. Add some bacon if you’re feeling frisky.

Other options include a green chile burger, the bacon-wrapped “Hot Don” topped with chili con carne and avocado, and a la carte tacos and quesadillas. There is also a full kids menu with the usual offerings, plus a short list of desserts. Orders can be placed at the adjacent Sand Dollar Bar, where seating is also available.

Leaping Llama Café brings specialty coffee and good vibes to Pass-a-Grille

Just down the street from The Don, the eco-conscious and long-anticipated Leaping Llama Café soft opened this week, with a full grand opening coming soon. The bright café at 2010 Pass-a-Grille Way is home to a lengthy menu of specialty coffees (including nitro cold brew), craft beer on tap, a curated wine list, and a delectable selection of baked goods. We’re eyeing the hazelnut croissant, ourselves.

In addition to their passion for sustainability, Leaping Llama says their mission is “to serve the St. Pete Beach North and South areas, with some of the best freshly roasted coffees in the world, along with our in house baked goods, sweet and savory treats, crafted special drinks, beer and wine; sharing good vibes while positively impacting the entire value chain through the relationships created with our allies, step by step, one cup at a time.”

Hours and availability at the café may be limited during the soft open phase, but stay tuned for updates on official hours and café selections once Leaping Llama opens fully. In the meantime, we’re excited for the long list of lattes, matcha, smoothies, espresso, and hot chocolate.

Sweet things are coming to St. Pete Beach

Meanwhile, beach frequenters may have noticed a new sign going up at 5201 Gulf Boulevard. With the promise that there are “sweet things coming,” the sign advertises Beverly’s Ice Cream and Coffee. While we haven’t been able to confirm the owner of the new business, the logo is almost entirely the same as Beverly’s Ice Cream on Clearwater Beach.

The only difference – this new sign has added the word coffee. And it would make sense, given the small quarters of the Clearwater ice cream parlor’s location, along with the noticeably bigger footprint of this building on St. Pete Beach.

We’ll do our best to confirm, but if it is indeed the same Beverly’s, then St. Pete Beach is in for a treat. Beverly’s in Clearwater offers 24 flavors of ice cream available by the scoop or cone, along with dozens of combinations of toppings and syrups. The parlor also dishes up eye-popping specialties like hot fudge sundaes, banana splits, and ice cream-topped waffles.

Stay tuned for updates on this sweet mystery.

What to read next:

• Newly opened and upcoming restaurants in St. Pete
• New daily boat tour ‘The Pelican’ journeys from St. Pete Pier to Egmont Key
• P1 Offshore Grand Prix returns to St. Pete this September
• Museum of History’s ‘Cocktails on the Court’ returns for themed gala