Bosphorous Turkish Restaurant Opens in St. Pete
A new 5,000-square-foot Turkish restaurant named Bosphorous has opened in St. Petersburg's EDGE District. The restaurant aims to provide an authentic dining experience with a wide menu of traditional dishes. Its opening reflects the continued growth of the EDGE District as a culinary destination in the Tampa Bay area.
- The Bosphorous brand was acquired in 2009 by Doved and Tammy Sexter, both former veterans of Darden Restaurants, a Fortune 500 company that operates brands like Olive Garden and LongHorn Steakhouse. - This St. Pete location is the company's largest yet at 5,200 square feet and is part of a strategic expansion into the Tampa Bay market, with another location recently opening in Tampa's SoHo district and a third planned for Wesley Chapel. - The restaurant is an anchor tenant in the EDGE Collective, a mixed-use development by Miami-based PTM Partners and DoveHill Capital Management, which also includes a 163-key Moxy Hotel by Marriott. - To ensure authenticity, the owners import approximately 85% of their ingredients directly from Turkey, making the chain one of the largest importers of Turkish goods in the United States. They also had a shipping container of plates, silverware, and art sent from Turkey, with furniture shipped from Istanbul. - The restaurant's opening comes as the broader Tampa Bay restaurant market faces economic pressures; a November 2024 survey found that 46% of independent restaurant owners were unable to pay rent, an 11% increase from the prior year, due to rising costs. - The EDGE District is a nationally accredited Main Street America™ district, managed by a non-profit organization focused on economic vitality and preserving the area's historic character. - The food and beverage sector is a significant driver of the regional economy, with visitors spending $1.7 billion on it in Hillsborough County in 2024, accounting for 28% of all tourist spending.
