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THE CHEFS CIRCLE FORUM RECAP

The St. Petersburg Area Chamber of Commerce hosted an inaugural Chefs Circle Forum on June 1st to support local restaurants, cafés, and bars. Hospitality leaders were invited to the Forum’s "Saving Summer" Edition to focus on strategizing solutions for the difficult summer off-season and dealing with broader economic headwinds and industry challenges. Rather than the typical panel format, owners and operators collaborated in the room to honestly address dipping sales, rising operational costs, and labor challenges.

Over 40 folks attended, with the 3-hour program dedicated to finding tangible partnerships, developing community advocacy, and sharing business resources. Attendees ranged from longtime neighborhood favorites to up-and-coming new kids on the block. Quick-serve to sit-down, fine dining to casual, and everything in between – all were welcome and contributed. With dozens of restaurants, cafes, and bars shuttering for good already this year, it’s imperative that the industry gather to find sustainable solutions to this vital sector of the St. Pete economy and tourism engine.

Key Challenge Categories and Findings:

Staffing

  • Rising labor costs and affordability concerns
  • Workforce housing challenges
  • Staff safety concerns
  • Limited parking availability for employees
  • Difficulty finding the right employees for the right roles
  • Service charges versus minimum wage requirements
  • Front-of-house tipped wages versus back-of-house wages imbalance
  • Employees not fully utilizing available incentives and benefits

Cost of Goods & Operations

  • Significant increases in food and beverage costs
  • Rising insurance premiums
  • Increasing rent and lease costs
  • Vendor price increases without notice
  • Increase in utility costs
  • Continued increases in alcohol costs
  • Higher permitting and construction expenses
  • Delivery platform fees eroding profitability
  • Commercial lease impacts related to Florida property tax changes

Slow Foot Traffic & Tourism Challenges

  • Lingering impacts from hurricanes
  • Affordability challenges for residents and visitors
  • Fewer snowbirds and tourists
  • Competition from sporting events and entertainment options
  • Transportation, parking, and accessibility concerns

Changing Consumer Behavior

  • Reduced alcohol consumption among consumers
  • Economic pressures affecting discretionary spending
  • Impact of weight loss medications on dining habits
  • Some growth at both low-cost and high-end restaurants while mid-tier establishments struggle
  • High gas prices limiting consumer travel and dining frequency

Marketing Challenges

  • Difficulty identifying and targeting ideal customers
  • Oversaturation of social media marketing channels
  • Concerns about overreliance on AI-generated marketing content
  • Importance of utilizing physical locations as valuable marketing assets
  • Extremely expensive (time & money) to market across all channels

Industry Overbuild

  • Concerns about the growing number of restaurants competing for a shrinking customer base
  • Perception that St. Pete's food scene is not marketed strongly enough as an aspect of our tourism destination
  • Need for greater cuisine diversity and differentiation in the local market

Resources & Opportunities Discussed

  • City, County, and Visit St. Pete Clearwater incentive programs
  • Group dining opportunities through St. Pete Young Professionals, Leadership St. Pete, and other community organizations
  • Partnerships with local museums and cultural institutions
  • Chamber resources: 12-point Hospitality Support System
  • Exploring efficiency models

Revenue Growth Ideas

  • Operational pivots (example: going cashless or adding service charges)
  • Leveraging brick-and-mortar spaces as marketing tools
  • Increasing collaboration with community organizations and attractions
  • Expanding into adjacent revenues sources: event rental, catering, merchandising, and more
  • Focusing on the experiential nature of hospitality

Action Items

This initial forum was free and open to all restaurant, café, and bar owners, managers, and leaders, regardless of Chamber membership. Going forward – guests can attend one Forum, before deciding on Chamber membership and ongoing access.

Several action items from the Chamber have already followed this forum session:

  • Game Night St. Pete (gamenightstpete.com) was launched in collaboration with Visit St. Pete Clearwater and the St. Pete Chamber to promote hospitality this Summer and beyond
  • The Chamber and several forum attendees successfully lobbied City council to reconsider anordinance that could potentially prohibit parking near our most active business districts
  • Multiple B2B connections made around partnering, pop-ups, catering, group-marketing, advocacy, and alcohol-free profit concepts

The Forums are facilitated by Roger Curlin, the Chamber's Director of Business Growth & Engagement and experienced hospitality educator/connector.

Register for the next Chefs Circle Fourm

The next Chefs Circle Forum is set for September 14th, 1-4pm at The St. Pete Chamber, with a Marketing Masterclass as its centerpiece.

 

REGISTER HERE
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