Bosphorous Turkish Restaurant Opens in St. Pete
A new Turkish restaurant named Bosphorous has opened a 5,000-square-foot location in St. Petersburg's EDGE District. The restaurant aims to serve authentic Turkish cuisine, expanding the dining options in the city's eclectic commercial and arts district.
- The restaurant is an anchor tenant in the EDGE Collective, a multi-phase development by Miami-based PTM Partners and DoveHill Capital Management that includes a 163-key Moxy Hotel. The project's second phase is a $98.5 million investment planned to add 360 residential units, signaling significant capital flow into the district. - The owners, Doved and Tammy Sexter, are veterans of Darden Restaurants who acquired the Bosphorous brand in 2009 and are now pursuing a multi-location expansion, with other new restaurants planned for Tampa and Wesley Chapel. - This location will be the brand's largest, and its development involves navigating international supply chains for authentic decor, with the owners importing furniture, art, and a custom copper-clad oven directly from Turkey. - The menu's focus on authentic Anatolian cuisine requires sourcing specific ingredients and Halal meats, adding a layer of supply chain complexity and compliance verification to their operations. - The restaurant is part of a broader historic preservation-based revitalization strategy in the EDGE District, which leverages public art and the renovation of historic buildings, like the former Furnish Me Vintage space, to attract businesses and drive economic activity. - Bosphorous is the original Turkish restaurant in Central Florida, having first opened in Winter Park in 2004, and its growth reflects a rising consumer demand for authentic, international cuisine.
